STOKJI OF SLEET. Its Mantle Covers a Largo Portion of the Cotton States. The Losses Arc I)nurmmm--llainn <;e at l.iltle Hock, Ark.., IXimated at * 100.000 Kentucky lilt llurd—The Storm ut Other Places. Little Hock, Ark., Jan. 30.—The heaviest losses ever sustained in Lit tle Kock from a like cause arc the results of the terrible storm of sleet anil cold rain which has prevailed here for the past three days. The business section of the city is a scene of desolation and business men on every hand are mourning heavy losses that cannot be recov ered by insurance. The damage will exceed $400,000. The fall of sleet amounted to about five iitches. Little Rock is practically shut off from the world. The Western I'nion lines are all down throughout the state. The Southern Telephone and Telegraph Co. reports a loss of $25,000. The Little Kock Telephone Co. has not a line operating in the city. Most of its wires are broken and many of its poles are down. Fully 5,000 shade trees were completely de molished. Lexington, Ky., Jan. 30.—Lexington was in darkness last night anil almost every street is blocked with fallen trees, telephone poles anil tangled wires. Ihe sleet continued without •cessation yesterday and last evening the snapping of trees and poles was like cannonading. The mayor ordered all electric currents, except those supplying street car lines, which are yet open, cut off for safety. Eleva tors anil several small plants had to suspend. Telephone companies he e suffered seriously. Beautiful trees, for which the city is noted, are fall ing by hundreds. Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 30. —Owens- bo ro is completely buried in sle?t. The dan.age to business interests is estimated at $75,000. The Cuinberlan'J Telephone Co. and Home Telephone Co. wires are broken, blockading the streets. The electric plant is shut down and the giis plant is in bad shape. Business of all kinds is practi cally suspended. Padueah, Ky., Jan. 30.—The weather yesterday was the worst in the city's history. Sleet, snow anil rain fell steadily. Mayor Reed had all electri city shut off, closing factories, lire alarm currents, street cars and shut ting off lights. Telephone wires are down everywhere, poles snapping like straws. No electricity will be turned on until the danger from broken wires shall lie over, and as yet then is no relief in sight. It, is estimated that the total damage here will reach SIOO,OOO. The damage at Mayfielil is $60,000, with corresponding losses in other adjacent cities. Atlanta. Ga.. Jan. 30.—This section of the country was yesterday, accord ing to the weather bureau, the meet ing point of a high and low area. The former bringing a cold wave and the latter rain, produced unsettled conditions. A drizzling rain gave way last night to a dense fog which inter fered with all kinds of wire communi cation and hampered local street car traffic. A sleet storm extending from the Ohio river as far south as Memphis ano east to Chattanooga, almost paralyzed telegraph wires, while snow in Texas isolated some parts of that state from the outside world. A BRIBERY SCANDAL. It Mill lie Thoroughly Investigated by the Grand Jury ut St. I.ouls. St. Louis, Jan. 30. —Yesterday ai ternoon Judge Wood issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ellis Wain wright, president of the St. Louis Brewing Co., and a director of the St. Louis and Suburban Co. The war rant was handed to a deputy sheriff ■for service, lie returned to the of fice of the district attorney several hours later without finding Mr. Wain wright. The arrest could not be made because, it was stated, Mr. V/ainwright is now in New York. Investigation of the Central trac tion bribery scandal, which was un earthed in 1898, was commenced by the grand jury yesterday under the direction of District Attorney Folk. Mr. Folk declares that the state will not. rest with the Suburban in vestigation, but will go back to the Central traction scandal of ]S9B, and the North and South bill, lie says the state is confident that bribery was attempted or accomplished in Viot h those instances, anil he is pre pared to sift the matter to the bot tom. All of the 28 members oi last year's house of delegates have been sub poenaed to appear before the grand jury. Charles 11. Turner, president of the Suburban Co., was before the graivl jury for a time yesterday, af ter which he was closeted with As sistant District. Attorney Hancock. Late in the afternoon it was stated oti authority at the Four Courts, tnal bench warrants, other than that for Wainwright, have been issued. According to Mr. Folk the $135,000 In bills locked in two safe deposit boxes for bribery purposes in the iSuburban bill . affair, cannot be claimed by anybody without the claimant, by that act. showing him self to be guilty of a felony. Some I'rinttn*: Statistics. Washington, .lan. 30.—The census bureau's preliminary report regard ing printing and publishing, news papers mhl periodicals, in 1900, fol lows: Number of establishments 15,- 305, increase 24 per cent.; capital $192,443,703, increase 52 per cent.; wage earners, average number 94,604, Increase 10 per cent; total wages $50,- 333,637, decrease 1 per cent.; miscel laneous expenses $38,544,637, increase 8 per cent.; cost of materials used $50,214,904, increase 29 per cent.; value of products $222,983,569, In' ortilafc 21 iH* CttJlt. RUNAWAY TROLLEY CARS. They I*l unite Down « Steep 11111 Three I'eople Killed, Injured. Pittsburg', Jan. 30.—Three people killed, two fatally hurt and a score of others more or less injured is the record made by two runaway cars on the.M onongaliela branch of the Pittsburg Railway Co. last night. The dead: John McFadden, aged 24 years, East McKeesport. Mary Kinkaid, 11), East McKeesport, passenger on second ear. Robert Trush, 29, conductor, Pitts burg. Injured: Charles Wright, motor man, arms broken, hurt internally, will die. Alex Sanders (colored), both legs broken, hurt internally, will die. James Fryne, motorman, seriously cut and bruised. Frank Small, East McKeesport, leg broken in two place!, badly cut. Thomas Campbell, Wilmerding, tel ler Farmers' national bank, Pitts burg. cut and bruised all over body. Comer Davis, Walls Station, eut and bruised. Jacob Smith, Walls Station, seri ously cut about head. A number of others were hurt, but none seriously enough to be taken to the hospital. The accident happened at the foot of the long hill running into Wil merding from McKeesport. A ear without passengers got beyond con trol of tne motorman and dashed down the hill one and one-fourth miles long at terrific speed. At the bottom it jumped into the Pennsyl vania railroad station, carrying away the side of the depot and tearing up the platform. Charles Wright, the motorman, waa so badly hurt that he cannot recover. A large crowd gathered about the wreck and 12 minutes later a second runaway car came tearing down the hill and ploughed into the crowd with death dealing force. The second car ran into a carriage containing James Broad and Lizzie Miner, on their way to McKeesport to be mar ried. The carriage was completely wrecked and the driver, Alex Saun ders, was fatally hurt, 'i lie young couple escaped with comparatively slighht injuries and later were mar ried. The scene at the wreck when the second car was hurled into the crowd was beyond description. A blinding sleet storm prevailed at the time and it is said the two cars "skated" down the hill with brakes tightly set.. THE STEEL TRUST. B*\li'\v of Its Operation* During Ten .Hon His—Surplus IN Mew York, Jan. 30. —A preliminary report covering the operations of the United States Steel Corporation since it came into existence ten months ago was made to the stockholders yesterday. It was a forerunner of the more extended resume to be sub mitted at the annual meeting on February 17, and was designed to familiarize the share owners with the financial status of the company and the trade situation in the market where it buys and sells, 'the report declared present business and the future outlook, viewed ahead through 1902, to be highly satisfactory. The report said that great pro gress had been made in the general plan to harmonize the work of the many plants, to secure perfect co-op eration and to effect economy in manufacture, but that the end had not been reached and that the favor able results might still be accom plished. The departments of ore mining, coal mining, coke manufac ture and lake transport ion, the re port stated, have been thoroughly systematized and the managements of manufacturing plants have been brought into closer relationship. Ad vantage has been taken of the cheap est distribution in the sclieme'of eco nomics. The condensed balance >;heet for November 30, showed that on that day the accounts receivable aggre gated $-15,209,453, the bills receivable $2,831,463 and the cash on hand $55,- 315,527, a grand total of $103,400,444. In the list of assets in the balance sheet was a credit of inventories amounting to $90,303,997 and a sub joined tabulation showing that it in cluded ores on hand valued at $34,- 776,058, finished products $15,322,636, manufacturing supplies and miscel laneous stores $12,170,161, anil ma terials, labor and expense locked up in current uncompleted bridge con tracts $9,268,361. The current liabilities on Novem ber 30, were stated at $50,269,630, and the surplus of the corporation and the subsidiary companies was placed at $174,344,229. The cost of the prop erties owned and operated by the sev eral federated companies was given as $1,437,494,862. "The business of the companies," said the report, "had been put.on practically a cash basis. The losses actually incurred through bad debts ! have been very small and little if any loss in the collection of accounts and ' notes receivable is anticipated." Cone to the Jury, Frankfort, Ky., Jan. 30.—The fate of Jim (Howard, the alleged Goebel assassination principal, is now in the hands of the jury. The case was given to the jury last evening. I''altli < uriots' Trial ICnded. Hamilton, 0., Jan. 30.—The trial of Sylva find Leota Bishop, faith curists, on the charge of manslaughter, was brought to an end yesterday. The Bishop refused to call a physician to attend their child, which had been burned, and it was alleged that death resulted from failure to employ medi cal remedies. A demurrer was en tered to the state's testimony, on the ground that Ohio law does not re quire medical aid to be procured for the sick. The court sustained the de murrer and the prisoners were TO leased. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, i 902. APPEAL OF SCHLEY Lemly and Hanna Comment Upon It as Submitted to the President. lie viewers ol the Appeal Say the <;ior7 ul Victory llelousis to Sumpsoii" Commentators Claim Court ol' liKitilry Would Mot Hear Sampson's Story. Washington, Jan. 31.—The "com ment" of Judge Advocate General Lemly and Solicitor Hanna upon the appeal of Admiral Schley, as submit ted to the president by Secretary Long, is less than a third as long as the appeal. The commentators begin with the statement that Admiral Schley and his counsel have shitted their ground. They say the chief features of the case were "the retro grade movement," "disobedience of orders," "inaccurate and misleading official reports," "failure to destroy vessels of the enemy, lying within sight," anil "injustice to a brother of ficer." The first. w».v that the finest aggre gation of African navai vessels un der une command was, by Schley's direction, turned about and headed for Key West, more than 700 pyles distant, when within 22 miles of San tiago, where the enemy's ships were. The second was that Schley deliber ately disobeyed the secretary's order overtaking him in his retrograde movement. The third was that Schley's reason, officially given for the retrograde movement and disobedience of or ders, i. e„ "that the flying squadron was short of coal," was not true. The fourth was that for three days some of the Spanish fleet lay within reach of the flying squadron, and no sufficient effort was made to destroy tli em. The fifth involves the point of hon or. The commentators say: "Upon all the above named features, be lieved by us to be the most important matters into which the court made inquiry, the conduct of Admiral Schley was condemned by that most distinguished tribunal. Admiral Dewey and Bear Admirals Bcnham and Hamsay united in their opinion upon all of these several points." The commentators charge that Schley now ignores all these grave matters and bases nis appeal upon unimportant features of the case as compared with the grave matters referred to, "upon which there was not, and, in the face of the testi mony, could not have any difference of opinion in the court." The commentators say they recog nize the fact that Admiral Schley devoted by far the larger part of his appeal to the question of command, and consequently give that question a proportionate space in their com ment. They declare that the ques tion is between Sampson and Schley both alike interested, and to investi gate it fairly both should be heard. Such testimony on this point as came before the court was on Schley's side only, and the doors were closed to Sampson. As showing Schley's own opinion of who was in command, they quote this passage from his dispatch ol July 10, 189S, to the secretary of the navy; "Feel some mortification that the newspaper accounts of July C have attributed victory of July 3 al most entirely to inc. Victory was se cured by the lorce under the com mander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron, and to him tin- honor is due." Further, they quote Schley's letter of December IS, 1901, to Secretary Long, justifying the "loop" on the expressed ground that it was made "in the execution of the standing order.to close in." It is asked "but if lie was then himself in command, how happens it that he was execut ing the orders of somebody else in command? Before the court of in quiry, every prop raised to support the contention that Schley did any thing to achieve the victory by is suing orders as commanding officer of the American fleet was removed. The plain truth was for the first time revealed that Schley did not ex ercise command on that day over any ship, except to some extent, his own flagship, the Brooklyn." The commentators declare: 'The question is not so much one of possi ble credit to, but of possible censure of Admiral Schley, in connection with the work of that vessel in the bat tle of Santiago. The plain truth is ttiat Admiral Schley did not during the battle in any way direct or con trol the splendid performances of the Gloucester and the three battle ships, Indiana, lowa and Texas. The officers in command of these ships neither received nor obeyed a soli tary order from him." Syndicate Wants to Diu Canal. Chicago, Jan. 31. —The Chronicle says: A syndicate of Chicago and New York contractors representing a working capital of $70,000,000 a year is ready to take the contract for building the Nicaragua!! canal. Eight of the largest construction firms in the city have made careful estimates of the cost, and when con gress shall evince a willingness to al low private enterprises to do the work, they will offer their services. In case congress shall not act, how ever, the interests which have band ed together will make no fight for the contract. Sent to Jail lor Contempt. Chicago, Jan. 31.—Judge Smith ye*s terday sentenced John F. Bent ley, of the printing firm of Bent ley, Murray & Co., to 60 days' imprisonment, in the county jail for contempt in re fusing to bring the books of the firm before the grand jury. The jury waa investigating scandals in the busi ness management of the town of iSoulli Chicago. The printing firm had the contract to do the town printing. The charge was made that IT. 11. Ful ler, the town collector, had private work done by the firm at the town's expense. A CENSUS BULLETIN. It (liven Flu 11 row llunonio lllllmfoer ul I'luLL t* 111 IWJ Uu> 51-4,585. Washington, Jan. 31.—The statis tics of th»- manufacturing' industries for the United .States as shown by tne official returns of the twelfth census, were announced in a prelimi nary report issued Thursday by the census bureau. These figures do not include establishments with a pro duct nf less than SSOO, government establishments, or penal, eleemosy nary, and educational institutions, which were not reported at the elev enth census. The summary, as com pared with the figures for 1890, fol lows: Number of establishments 512,585, increase 4 per cent. Capital $9,853,630,789, increase cl per cent. Wage earners, average number 5,310,598, increase 25 per cent. Total wages $2,1123,407,257, increas' 23 per cent. Cost of materials used $7,340,910, 030, increase 42 per cent. Value of products, including cus tom work and repairing. $13,019,251,- 614, increase 39 per cent. The 71 irector of the census has is sued a bulletin on the results of an inquiry into the accuracy of the methods of estimating population in vogue, especially in large cities, lie points out that the criticisms of the accuracy of the count have mainly rested upon a discrepancy between the census figures and the directory estimate, the vote cast at a recent election, the city's prior rate of growth, or the number of children of school age reported by a state school census. The bulletin says: "The study has been confined for the most part to the 7S cities having at least 50,000 inhabitants. The per cent, of increase for all these cities taken collectively from ISSO to 1890 was 46.8, and from 1890 to 1900, it was 32.5, there having been a sharp check in the rate of growth of large cities during the last ten years. This shows the impossibility of estimating the population of a city under exist ing conditions from its rate of growth between the two preceding censuses. "The city directory often prints its guess of a city's population in the prefatory note. These guesses have been compared with the results of the census and in every case but one in 1890 to 1900 the directory estimate was found too large. In two-thirds of the cases the directory was over 10 per cent, and in nearly one-third it was over 20 percent, in excess of the census count. As a basis for estimat ing the population of a city the vote cast is little, if any better. In Al bany, Columbia and Dayton there were less than four persons to a vote at the last presidential election; in Fall Itiver there were more than nine persons to each vote, and in Atlanta more than 17. "The school census, if accurate, is better than cither, but is so fre quently inaccurate that the method can seldom if ever be used with con fidence." ESCAPED FROM JAIL. Tw <> II II rderer* Overpower Ilie <. uu rli;lit WHH In llutlcr Count)', §*•».-Tliey Were Overtaken Wlillc Trjlnjj to Kucope In u Slolijli. Pittsburg, Feb. 1. —A telegram from •Butler at 9:30 p. in.says: Edward Biddle, in jail dying; John Biddle, riddled with buckshot and in a pre carious condition; and Mrs. Peter K. Soffel, dying in the hospital with a' self-inflicted bullet wound in the breast, is the sequel of the sensation al escape of the Biddle brothers from the AHegheny county jail, aided by Mrs. Soft'el, the wife of ttie jail war den, on Thursday morning. The story of the close of the Biddle tragedy, which came at 5:4.1 Friday afternoon, is a thrilling one. The scene was a snow-covered road two miles east of Prospect, Butler county, near Mount Chestnut, and the exact place at, McClure's barn, where two double team sleighs, tilled with eight officers, three of them Pittsburg detectives, John Roach, .Albert Swineliart and Charles Mc- Uovern, met the two 'Biddies in :i one-horse sleigh, stolen at I'errys ville, and at once opened fire on the trio. The Biddies returned the fire, after jumping out of the sleigh. Mrs. Sof fel's wound was through the breast. Edward Biddle was shot in the left arm, in the breast and in one leg. John Biddle was riddled with buck shot in the breast and head. The Pittsburg officers were met at 'Butler yesterday afternoon by Depu ty' Sheriffs Rainey and Iloon, and Of ficers Frank Holliday and Aaron. Thompson, the latter under command of Chief-of-Poliee Robert Ray, of Butler. The officers were certain that they were on the right trail. It was only a question of time when they would catch up to the escaping condemned murderers and their guilty compan ion. The Biddies and Mrs. SofTel ate din ner at J. J. Stephens', at Alt. Chest nut, five miles east of Butler. They had made a detour of the town of •Butler and after going several miles east turned north and then west. The Pittsburg officers, only a few miles in Ihe rear, took the wrong road for about eight miles, but when they found their mistake they made up for lost time by telephoning and telegraphing ahead for fresh horses. They reached Mount Chestnut not less than half an hour after the Bid dies and Mrs. Soffel. At this point William Watson, storekeeper, had fresh horses awaiting them, and the chase for life began anew. The two sleighs with the eight of ficers aboard, started westward, and met the Biddies and Mrs. Soffel at (McClure's barn, two miles from 'Mount Prospect, the Biddies having learned that, they were almost over taken, and taking what they consid ered the only chance they had drove eastward and met their doom. When the detectives got within about 60 yards <>i' the fugitives they opened fire. The Biddies promptly answered with shotgun and revolvers. When Ed Biddle fell anu Mrs. .Soffel saw that she was about to be cap tured she fired a bullet into her breast. An examination by physi cians shows that she will recover, as the bullet was deflected by her cor set and the wound is comparatively slight. The Pittsburg and other officers were armed with Winchester rifles and revolvers of large calibre. Ed Biddle got a bullet in the breast which penetrated his right lung and will probably end his life before morning. John Biddle may recover, his wounds though numerous, fail ing to reach a vital spot. The escape of the officers is miraculous. After the Biddies fen to the snow covered ground the officers picked up the apparently lifeless bodies of Mrs. Soffel and the Biddies and came back to Butler, bringing the stolen sleigh, patched up harness and worn out horse that the trio had tried so strenuously to get away with to ward Canada and liberty. At the jail last night Ed Biddle called for a priest and made the following statement: "I have been accused of a great many serious crimes. I admit that I could have committed many, the opportunities for them having presented them selves. I want to say now that t did not kill Detective Fitzgerald nor did I shoot Thomas lvahney, nor was my brother implicated in the latter affair. 'Mrs. Soffel aided us in get ting out of the county jail, and had it not been for her we would have made our escape to-day. She gave up everything for us and I was bound to back her. 1 did not shoot her. She shot herself. Oh, father, bless me, and tell me that my sins are for given. Although I have been pictured to you as a desperate man,l still have some heart and gratitude for the woman who helped us to escape. She merely did it out of good sym pathy for us. I persuaded her to do it.l told her 1 was guiltless of the crime for which I was about to bo executed and she was impressed and yielded to my suggestion. 1 planned it all," 3