r V- -• - .• ' - * • • • v. V' Teutons Continue to Sweep Through Moldavia HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH LXXXVI— No. 3 12 PAGES $40,000 LOSS IN TWO FIRES AT PENBROOK ANDSTEELTON Six Families Flee Burning Apartments; Harrisburg Firemen Help Fight Flames in Wolf Building; Post Office Gutted 200 NEGROES RENDERED HOMELESS AT MILL TOWN Blaze Sweeps Quarters of Bethlehem Steel Employes; Poor Water Pressure Hind ers Work; Overheated Stoves and Flue Cause Two fires—one last night at Steelton destroying 90 one-story frame buildings, quarters for 200 Southern negroes, the other early this morning at Penbrook, wreck ing the W. H. Wolf apartment, in Penbrook Square—caused more than $40,000 damage before fire men could get the flames under control. The Steelton blaze was caused by an overheated stove in one of the shanties; the Penbrook fire started in an overheated flue. At both places firemen were hinder ed by poor water pressure. A gen err.] alarm was sent in for all Steelton companies to tight the blaze in the nine rows of houses there; and a call for aid was sent in to the Friendship, Hope and Washington companies of Harris burg, to come to Penbrook. Scantily Clad, Six Families Flee Blaze in .Penbrook Apartments Six families were made homeless, j supplies and equipment of five lodges i almost totally destroyed. Postmaster R. M. Hoover was compelled to re-1 move all the mail and stamps from i the post otfice to a room in a building I across the street, and the merchan-1 dise in the general store of \V. H. Hartman, was badly damaged by water. The blaze started on the first floor [Continued on Pase 7] 196 Warships of Total Tonnage of 759,430 Are Sunk by Germans Berlin. Jan. 3 (By Wireless)—"ln cluding the French battleship Gaulois, sunk by a German submarine," says an Overseas News Agency statement to-day. "196 hostile warships, includ ing torpedoboats and submarines, of a total tonnage of 759,430 have been sunk since the beginning of the war. "Of these, 125 vessels British, of a total of 565,200 tons. "The total losses of entente war ships exceed the total tonn*rre of the warships of France at the beginning of the war. "Auxiliary cruisers and ships of spe cial type that have been lost are not Included in the figures given." FARMERS' GOV. TAKES OATH Bismarck, N. D.. Jan. 3. Lynn J. Frazier became "the farmers' gover nor of North Dakota" to-day when he took oath of otfice before the State Legislature. Mr. Frazier, as Republi can candidate for governor, received the endorsement of the North Dakota Farmers' Nonpartisan League. He has declared his intention to support the league's executive program, which Includes State-owned flour mills, ter minal grain elevators and packing plants. THE WEATHER For Ilnrrislmrc anil vicinity: Cloud}', probably ruin thlH after noon; fair to-niKht anil Thursday, with moderate temperature. lon-eat to-night nbont 30 degrees. For Eastern I'ennsyl\aula: Itnin thla afternoon; fair weather mid moderate temperature to-niKht anil Thursday; fresh Month to neat winds. River No material ehiinKea are likely to oecur In general river conditions. The rnln and mild tempernture nlll soften the lee somewhat. hut the rain nlll probably not be heavy enoutcli or the tempera ture high enouKh to cause any lee movementa of Importance. A stage of about 4.7 feet la Indicat ed for llarrlaburK Thursday moraine. Cienernl Conditions PA storm has developed rapidly from the low preaaure aysteni cover! ok the northern purt of the country and la now central over Wlehignn. It has caused preelpltntlon In the form of anow, sleet and rain, moatly rain, over the greater purt of the country enat of the Mis sissippi river In the luat twenty four hours. There has been a Reneral rise of 2 to 20 ileßreea In temperature, ex cept In Mlasourl, Texas. New Mexico, the Susquehanna Valley and Xew Knglund and In Oreßon, Washington and Western < nnndn, where It Is 2 to 10 deßrees colder. Temperature; 8 a. ni., .12. Sun; Rises. 7:30 a. m.; sets. 4;5t p. m. Moon; Full moon, January 8, 2:40 a. m. River Stage; 4.6 feet aove low water mark. Yeaterday'a Wentlier Highest temperature, 42. l,oweat temperature, 32. Mean temperature, 37. "■—'■ l temocrature. 30. WEALTHY UPSTATE MAN NOT CLEARED IN MODEL TANGLE Scores of Prominent Young Men Acquainted With Mur dered Girl Quizzed NO ARRESTS ARE MADE 'V I "1155 GRACE RoBEJ3TS G/rz... Philadelphia, Jan. 3.—Detectives as signed to unravel the tangle of clues that have been advanced in the effort to find out who murdered Maizie A. Colbert in her apartment here last week were busy to-day examining many young men who were acquainted with the young woman. Despite the statements of the captain of the city detectives that in his belief the former manicurist was beaten and strangled by a degenerate there are persistent unconfirmed reports that a wealthy young man from up state has not yet been entirely cleared of suspicion of knowing something about the murder. Captain of Detectives Tate, however, said the young man in question is not wanted by the police and that he has cleared himself to the satisfaction of the detectives. Captain Tate said the man, who was an admirer of Miss Colbert and was generous with pres- [Continued on Pace 3] Request For City Local Option Legislation Made by Governor of N. Y. Albany. N. Y„ Jan. 3. A qualified request for city local option legislation and a recommendation that the State set an example as a model employer by creating a system of injury and death insurance for its employes were outstanding features of the annual message of Governor Whitman to the Legislature which opened its annual session to-day. . The Governor also recommended the broadening of the scope of the military training system for youths, which was inaugurated last year. Ad ditional pay for the National" Guards men who served on the Mexican bor der; adoption by the State of the fed eral rural post road plant, and prison reform based upon "iron discipline." Dr. Kharas' Attorney Looks Up Marriage Tangle in Home City of First Wife Elmira, N. Y., Jan. 3.—That Dr. 1 Theodore Kharas. of Harrisburg, was married last November to Miss Bessie j Murdock, of Hagerstown, Md.. was ad | mitted here yesterday by G. R. Hurd, |of Harrisburg, attorney for Dr. ! Kharas. The lawyer was here invest I • ' gating the divorce proceedings insti tuted by Mrs. Adah P. Kharas who i claims she is the lawful wife of Dr. Kharas. The Harrisburg lawyer said: | "Dr. Kharas was informed by his j wife that everything was all right and ! he thought she had obtained a divorce ! which freed both of them and that , he was entitled to marry again if he wished." Mr. Hurd would not talk j much about the case, and after a con i ference with Richard B. Thurston, lo cal attorney for Mrs. Kharas, refused |to say what future action would be j taken. Attorney Thurstpn also refused jto talk until he had communicated , with Mrs. Kharas who was still in ■ Kansas. | Attorney Hurd told of Dr. Kharas' I business connections in Harrisburg and throughout the Cumberland Valley, j and said Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Mur dock. of Hagerstown. Md., whose | daughter Dr. Kharas married last No vember, would take no action. The wife living in Harrisburg knew noth ing of the trouble Dr. Kharas was hav ing, as she did not read the Harrisburg newspapers. The Harrisburg lawyer expected to leave for home this morn ing. G. R. Hurd, the attorney, has offices at 317 Chestnut street, this city. Lansing Asks For Auto and He Will Get It Because of His Nerve | Washington, Jan. 3. Failure of the House Appropriations Committee to grant a S4OO annual increase in salaries to State Department bureau | chiefs led Secretary Lansing to-day to make a personal appeal for the In crease to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which looks with favor upon it. While before the committee Secre tary Lansing was assured that the ap- J propriatlon to provide him with an ' official automobile would be left in the bill. It was disclosed that when I the question came up in the House Committee, Chairman Fitzgerald, had I exclaimed: "Secretary Lansing Is the only cabinet official who has had nerve enough to ask Congress for an auto mobile and, by George, he shall have it " HARRISBURG, PA., WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1917. NEWS ITEM: SHORTER DAY FOR STORE CLERKS! XICTHIS RELIEF ! \ MUCH THANKS JUDGE KUNKEL RAPS LAWYER WHO TRIFLES WITH LAW Refuses to Take Notice of Union Casualty Co. Counsel's Telegram A telegram sent to President Judge George Kunkel, of the Dauphin county court, by Henry J. Scott, a Philadel phia lawyer, asking that the argument on the exceptions to the decree of dis solution in the Union Casualty Insur ance Company's case be continued to day, aroused the ire of the court and brought a blunt refusal. The argu ment in the case of the exceptions to the decree in the case of the Pension i Mutual Life, which are almost iden tical, went ahead. j Scott sent a telegram to Judge 1 Kunkel asking that the matter be | continued pending the disposition of [Continued on Page 7] Williamsport Mayor Resigning, Calls Clark Government Failure Williamsport, Pa., Jan. 3. Jonas ! Fischer resigned as mayor of Wil liamsport yesterday. To-day is the | day fixed by the court upon which 'he was required to answer in quo warranto proceedings attacking his I citizenship. Acompanying the message was a message In which he said: "The com [ mission form of government so far as j this city is concerned, has proven a : failure and a needless expense." He I demanded that the poor board be in- I vestigated and its accounts audited. Council, by a resolution, which al leged the members of the poor board had in violation of a city ordinance been paying themselves larger salaries than the ordinance provided, removed from office C. B. Hnnna, George H. Goldy and John S. Lelnbach, the mem bers of the poor board, and then elect ed as poor board Miss Charlotte Rom berger, the Rev. Theodore Beck and iF. N. Kane. Miss Romberger is the , head of associated charities of the city. Seek to Develop Ideal American Chicken ! New York, Jan. 3. —An ideal Am ! erican fowl, in which will be centered all the good points in breeds of hens j is the object of the experiments being conducted by the United States gov ernment farm at Beltsville, Md. Har ! ry M. Lamon, head husbandman of ; the government farm, has been work i ing for the last five years on the new American product. He explained his experiments at t'.ie annual poultry show at Madison Square Garden. According to Mr. Lamon, the new 1 hen will have white plumage, yellow j legs, red ear lobes and a moderate | sized comb. In laying qualities and the size of its eggs it will resemble I the leghorn. It will have as much meat on its body as a Wyandotte, bar red rock Plymouth rock. The govern : ment farm, Mr. Umon said plans to j have a big exhibition of the new hen | at the poultry show next season. OHIO PAPER'S PRICE 3 CEXTS Chillicothe, 0., Jan. 3.—Because of I the increased cost of print paper, the | Scioto Gazette announced that begin ning January 15. the price of its I editions will be 3 Instead of 2 cents. NEWSPAPER ADVANCES PRfcE Carbondale, Pa., Jan. 3. The Leader, one of the oldest Journals In I Northwestern Pennsylvania, has an > nounced an advance In the subscrip tion price of six cents to ten cents a I week. High cost of materials is given j as the reason. STEAMEK SINKS I London, Jan. 3. Lloyd's shipping I ! agency announces that the British i | steamer Holly Branch, of 3,58 tons! gross, and the Norwegian steamer i I Erica have been sunk. POLITICAL COMBAT NOISE IS STILLED Governor Says lie Is Going Right Ahead Attending to Public Business The noise of political combat was stilled on Capitol Hill to-day and Governor Brumbaugh adhered strictly to his declaration of yesterday that the contest over the speakership being over he was groins hight ahead attend ing to the public business. Such a thing as dismissal of an official was not even on the executive horizon to day and there were no appointments in sight. Prominent State officials conferred with the Governor on de partmental matters and discussed leg islation. The Governor's message was highly praised all over Harrisburg to-day, notably for its conservation, local op tion, good roads and Capitol Park and Camp Curtin recommendations,the ref erences to the latter being considered by visitors from other places quite complimentary to Harrisburg's spirit of municipal prograss. There were less than half a dozen legislators In the city and the legisla tive chambers and committee rooms were deserted, everyone having ap parently gone home to wait for Janu ary 22. The Governor's Visitors Among the callers at the office of the Governor were Commissioner Dixon, who discussed water conserva tion; Secretary Patton who talked dairy inspection, which bill is now going through the cooling machine; Secretary Kalbfus, of the Game Com mission; Commissioner Jackson, Com ; missioner O'Neil, and Adjutant Gen eral Stewart. Attorney General Brown is taking a rest at his home in Phila- I delphia. j As a rule people at the Capitol were ostentatiously careful not to discuss the speakership. In accordance with the act of 1911, , the Governor will, during the present j month, appoint a board to examine ; candidates for the office of mine in spector in the bituminous region. German Raider Believed Preying on Commerce in Ocean; 6 Ships Missing New York, Jan. 3. A new teuton l raider has slipped through the allied ; patrol and is now at large on the high I seas. Germany's threat to carry on the j war to the bitter end, through renew ed submarine warfare on a gigantic scale assisted by fast commerce raid ers to prey on allied shipping finds confirmation in renewed wireless warnings issued to all uhlps at sea. Captain Jan Baron, commanding the Nieuw Amsterdam of the Holland- American Line told to-day of receiv ing daily warnings from Cape Race which gave a detailed description of the raider. Captain Baron said that the warn ing stated that the raider was 450 feet long and 45 feet beam and cap able of great speed. She has one fun nel and two masts and is equipped with long range guns and torpedo tubes. Captain Baron said that he had not seen the raider, although a sharp lookout was kept for her all the way across. The fact that six ships belonging to the allies are now long overdue are now believed to have been sunk by this "invisible" flying Dutchman, which all captains deny having seen. AUTO OVERTURNS Late last evening an automobile driven by Harry Kirby, of Copeburg, Pa., overturned near Camp Hill. Kirby was pinned under the machine His right arm was fractured and his body badly bruised and cut. ""he ma chine had been borrowed from his brother-in-law, Eugene Fogarty, 1121 North Front street. 4.000 GET INCREASE Chester. Pa.. Jan. 3. Four thou sand employes at the Springs Cotton Mills have been given a 10 per cent. Increase in wages. Three of the mills are at Lancaster, two at Fort Mill and one at Kenaew, 8. C COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK FOR 1917 IS GOOD Businessmen Expect New Year to Outdo Old Which Was Best in History While 1916 was a record year in the city's commercial history, the out look for 1917 is still better in the opinion of prominent merchants and heads of business organizations. Years in which the general assem bly is in session are always good in a business way, it is pointed out, be cause of the many gatherings held here by organizations interested in legislation. And with practically all the city's industries booked months [Continued on Pace 3] Hint Czar's Nephew Murdered Rasputin, Who Influenced Monarch London, Jan. 3. Telegrams re ceived in Paris from Petrograd allege ! that the notorious monk Rasputin, jwhose body has been recovered from I the Neva, was murdered by the I younger Prince Yussupoff, nephew by j marriage of the Czar. | Petrograd, Jan. 3. The body of I the monk Rasputin, who had a great ■ influence over the Czar, was recov ] ered yesterday morning by divers I from the bottom of an ice hole in the ! Xava near the Petrovosky bridge, which crosses one of the lesser arms of the river north of the city. Ac cording to newspapers here, the trag edy appears to have been enacted Sat | urday morning in the Yussupoff pal . ace, but the names of none of the par- I ticipants are mentioned. It was reported that early Satur ] day morning a mysterious motorcar was seen on Petrovosky Island. The ! police thereupon examined the river ! near Petrovosky Bridge and discov- I ered a newly cut icehole, from which | stretched human footprints in vart | ous directions. In the snow near the bank was found a man's golosh, j stained with suspicious marks. Divers | were requisitioned to examine the , bottom of the river, with the result i that the body of Rasputin was dis j covered. j According to to-day's accounts the I police found traces of blood in the ! snow in the palace garden. Demand | ing an explanation, servants gave the police information that a dog had ' been shot. In corroboration of this j statement the body of a dog was pro duced. The animal's body and a lump of blood-stained snow were removed for examination. Young Prince Yussupoff. who. after events weakened his influence at ! court, had left Petrograd for lus I Crimean estates, has returned to the capital. Urges Appropriation of $25,000,000 For Islands i Washington, Jan. 3. Secretary Lansing conferred at the Capitol to- I day with Senator Stone, chairman of , the Foreign Relations Committee, and i urged that Congress soon provide the $25,000,000 to pay for the Danish West Indies and also determine the form of government for the newly acquired islands. Both denied discussing the pending resolution to endorse Presi dent Wilson's peace note. The administration, it is understood, ; favors a bond issue to pay for the i islands inasmuch as they are a per manent national investment. Secretary Lansing would not dis cuss the form of government but Senator Stone favors quasi-military i form of government until Congress! provides some other. "My Idea is," said Senator Stone,' "that an officer of the government! should be appointed governor of the! islands to assume charge, that a cus-| toms officer and controller be named also to look after the finances and that I they should work out the dotails of a I provisional government," FORECAST END OF COMMISSION NEGOTIATIONS Wilson Will Confer With Mem bers of Joint Body on Mexi can Affairs PROTOCOL IS REFUSED Carranza Turns Down Propos ed Pact; Fletcher to Go to Mexico Soon Washington, Jan. 3. President Wilson will confer at 5 o'clock this af ternoon with Secretary Lane and the other American members of the Mex ican-American commission. It was announced that the Amei can commissioners only would make a statement of their position to the President, and in some quarters that was taken to forecast an end of the commission negotiations. An answer is being prepared to Carranza's plea for modification in the protocol, but it was said that was not to be discussed to-day with the President. The end of the commission negotia tions was considered by other officials to be preliminary to a new line of pro- [ Continued on Page 7] Teutonic Papers Agree Only Answer That Can Be Given Entente Is Sword Berlin, Jan. 2, via London, Jan. 3. The reply of the entente to the peace proposals of the central powers is dis cussed at great length this morning by the newspapers which base their re marks on the unofficial press version of the note, as received here from French sources. The newspapers are unanimous in saying the answer of the entente is only what was to be ex pected in view of the utterances of statesmen of the hostile nations. The opinion is expressed that the note was addressed less to the central powers than to the people of the en tente countries and to neutrals; hence the strong declamatory language cal culated, according to the German opinion, further to inflame passions against the Teutonic allies. In partic ular, it is declared the section devoted to Belgium is intended expressly for the American people. 4 f • j: | i j FRENCH BATTLESHIP REPORTED TORPEDOED "; Berlin, Jan. 3.—By Wireless. —A dispatch to the Zurich ! | ( Post from Milan reports that the French battleship Verite 1 ! 1 has been torpedoed by a German submarine near Malta, I 1 says an Overseas News Agency announcement to-day. The 4 * ► Verite badly damaged, is lying near the port of Malta, the | \ | dispatch adds. • ( I il f 'J "LEAK" RESOLUTION GOES OVER , i I Washington, Jan. 3.—Representative Wood's resolution j ;! for a special investigation of charges of a "leak" on Presi ' ! I > dent Wilson's peace note wns held privileged by the.House * f to-day and it was referred to the Rules Committee with in- 1 I > structions to report within ten days. < Ij I 1 " 1 WIND STORM UNROOFS BUILDINGS J J IWilkes-Barre, Pa., Jan. 3. Two schools, a mill and f r | several private houses were badly damaged by a wind storm 1 here to-day. One of the school buildings and two of th'. < * i houses were unroofed while windows in the other build ] , t ings were smashed and other damage done. The damage j K ■ i to properties will amount to about $50,000. j ? \ I i- ARREST READING MAN FOR INCENDIARISM Reading, Pa., Jan. 3.—State Fire Marshal J. H. McFar- j • * t land, of Harrisb'urg, this afternoon swore out a warrant , ; against Joseph Closeman, alias Joseph Clawson, aged 2Z < , , > years, charging him with causing recent mysterious fire ~ i a dozen in number, in this city. He has been m custody and , J j' MARRIAGE ~ I , 1 , Auguilui Wfrnry Wright, Hocheater, X. Y., and Ulva Ciarrctt. city. ( ' | J Char tea Daniel Walker and Varaa Ldna Weaver, Mifflin. El ■> 'lftn Ift—^ V 4 Single Copy, 2 Cents POSTSCRIPT FIGHTING REAR ACTIONS RUSSIANS REACH SERETH Must Hold on Eront From Ga licia or Will Face Crumbling Up Process MAKE SMASHING ATTACKS Teutons Swing Forward For New Gains of Prisoners and Ground Reports from both sides In the struggle in Rumania indicate that the Russians have now virtually reached the line of the Seretli, to which they have been -falling back while lighting strong rear guard actions. Berlin to day announces that troops of the ninth army, under Field Marshal von Mack ensen, are now before Fokshanl, which is on the fortified line which the Russians have been preparing and which follows in a general way the course of the Sereth. Knding at the Danube between Rroila and Galata, this line extends northwestward through Moldavia in the direction of the western Moldavian frontier. It is here, according to present indi cations, that the Russians count upon bringing Field Marshal von Macken-, sen's advance to a halt. Failing in this purpose, it has been pointed out, they would expose their front from Gaiicia southward to a possible crump ling up process through a turning [Continued on Page 7] German Harvests Show Big Gain Over Last Year Amsterdam, —an. 3.—A Berlin semi official telegram to-day says that this year's bread corn harvest will exceed last year's by 1,500,000 tons. Tlic de ficiency in the potato harvest which is considerably under the average, will be chiefly offset by the very good turnip crop. The reduction in the use of barley for brewing purposes by 50 per cent, will help greatly in overcoming the effects of a bad potato yield, the ad vices state. Germany's stock of cattle is declared in the dispatch to have increased since the beginning of 1916 by more than 400,000 and the stock of pigs by more than 4,000,000.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers