lexico Tklnks Motive For Misunderstanding Disappears With Release of Captured Consular Agent
E HARRISBURG tlljlli TELEGRAPH H
®je olar-Jn^epcnDent.
LXXXVIII— No. 298 22 PAGES Dall Mau x e c r p at S the d pot offlcI e at"AarTisburg las * . HARRISBURG, PA. WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 17, 1919. HOME EDITION
GRAND JURY IS
CALLED TO PROBE
FUEL VIOLATION
Coal Miners, Operators and
Dealers Involved in Xation-
Wide Investigation
LIMI TE D PRODUCTION
Anti-Trust Laws and Lever
Fuel Control Act Broken
Is Charged
Indianapolis, 17.—Members
of the special Grand Jury summoned
by United States District Judge A.
13. Anderson during the coal miners'
strike, to-day reported to the court
to begin their investigation of al
leged violation of antitrust laws and
the Lever fuel control act by coal
miners, operators and dealers.
Several witnesses have been sub
pcnaed, and, it was stated, the in
quiry will be pushed as rapidly us
possible.
Determination to conduct the in
vestigation resulted from charges
that operators had entered a con
spiracy to limit the production of
coal and that tlicy were joined in
a similar conspiracy by some of the
miners. Attorneys for the Govern
ment have stated that the Grand
Jury's investigation will not be con
fined to Indiana, but will be nation
wide in its scope. It was pointed out
I hat in conspiracy cases witnesses
may be summoned from any section
of the country without regard to
Federal court districts.
Contempt Charges Go Over
Tlie Grand Jury investigation fol
lows by a day further continuance
of charges of criminal contempt
against 84 olticials of the United
Mine Workers of America. With one
exception the hearing of contempt
charges went over until such a time
as the Government or attorneys for
the defendants see fit to bring the
case again before, the court. The
exception is the case of Alexander
llowat, president of the Kansas dis
trict of the mine workers, who is
charged with continued violation of
the Federal Court injunction by
furtherance of a local strike in Kan
sas. Howat has been ordered to ap
pear in court Monday morning. I).
A. Frampton, Moberly, Mo., another
miners' official, also is charged with
continued violation of the injunction
because of action similar to that of
liowat, but no formal order for his
appearance before Judge Anderson
lias been issued. It was stated to
day that he would be requested to
appear next week and that if he did
not formal action would be taken
10 obtain his presence iir court.
All miners in the state are again
in operation, it was reported this
morning, and with a very few ex
ceptions all Indiana miners have re
turned to work. With rescinding
of orders restricting the use of light,
heat and power, business and in
dustry is rapidly resuming normal. '
Operators Discussing
Probability of Coal Prices
Taking Leap Upward
11)1 Associated Press
Cleveland, Dec. 17.—Probability
oi coal prices increasing after the
commission to be appointed by Pres
ident Wilson to investigate the coal
situation makes its decision on the
bituminous coal miners' demands,
was discussed here to-day by the
scale committee of the central com
petitive tield, embracing Ohio, In
diana, Illinois and Western Penn
sylvania.
The settlement under which the
miners agreed to call off the strike
and the fourteen per cent, tem
porary wage increase which the
operators have agreed to pay the
miner's without raising the price of
coal to the consumer were also dis
cussed.
Thomas T. Brewster, of St. Louis,
chairman of the operators' executive
committee, presided at the meeting.
He expected the session to last until
to-morrow evening.
ASKS FOR EVIDENCE
Uy Associated Press
Trenton. N. J., Dec. 17.—State
Attorney General McCrane in a
communication to G. Rowland Mon
roe, counsel for the New Jersey
Anti-saloon League, to-day request
ed production next Tuesday of evi
dence which the league's attorney
recently indicated "gross violations
of the corrupt practices acts" had
been committed in the election as
Governor of State Senator Edward
I. Edwards and the twelve Demo
cratic Assemblymen from Essex
county. Mr. Monroe had asked the
Attorney General to institute quo
warranto proceedings to have the
election of these successful candi
dates declared void.
CHICKENS FED
CHOICE LAMB WHILE
HE WENT HUNGRY
By dissociated Press
Newark, Dec. 17. —A wife's
partiality toward a Hock of
chickens, in feeding the fowls
choice bits of spring lamb
while her husband went without,
and her action in killing some
of the birds for dinner which
he was not permitted to eat, are
not grounds for divorce, in the
opinion of Vice Chancellor Field
er. Such was his ruling in ef
fect in the case of Y. E.' Wilson
vs. Mary Wilson, of Madison,
The Wilsons parted about two
years ago after eleven years of
wedded life. Wilson, who de
clared his wife's slaughter of his
fancy fowl was responsible for
their disagreement, said she de
serted him. MTH. Wilson said her
husband's brutal treatment was
the cause of her leaving. Vice
Chancellor Fielder ruled that
neither had any cause for action
for divorce.
RELICS OF 2250 B. C. SHOW HOW
WORLD CONDUCTED BUSINESS
. a . tf v. s - - ,
MESSAGE CARRIED ON
STONE 41 CENTURIES
Public Library Shows How Ancients Recorded Records Be
fore the Time of Newsprint; Chisled During First
Babylon Dynasty
The Ifurrisburg Public Library is,
exhibiting four stones which date
from GOO to 2200 B. C. The stones!
have been loaned from the collec- j
tion of Robert T Fisher, and are j
exceedingly rare and valuable; only
a few of these particular types be*,
ing in existence.
The stones were all found In the j
Vicinity of the.lloly Land, and vary
from votive offerings to business |
documents and lists of provisions to i
be carried on a trip. The hiero-{
glyphics are so fine that one can j
scarcely discern them without the
aid of a microscope.
2250 Years B. C.
Tile largest stone was picked up
at Senkereh, and was inscribed about I
2200 B. C., and has outlined upon;
its flat sides the outline of a busl- j
ness' document drawn up about the I
time of the first dynasty of Baby-1
lon. j
The largest of the stones, shaped j
in the form of an enlarged arrow !
head, or about the size of the head
of a 37 MM. shell, was discovered at i
Warka about 2100 B. This is a |
votive cone, and was made by the
priests of the temple, who sold it
to pilgrims journeying to the vari-'
GUARD RAIL ON
BRIDGE IS URGED
BY ROTARIANS
Resolutions Addressed to City
Council Passed by Busi
ness Organization
The Rotary Club, meeting as the
guests of Colonel James B. Kemper,
at the United States Army recruiting
otlice, 325 Market street, adopted
resolutions recommending that city
council erect a guard rail between
the sidewalk and the roadway the
length of the Mulberry street bridge,
und endorsing the concert to be
given here shortly by Fritz Kreisler,
the noted violinist.
The resolution, relating to the
bridge was presented by.Shirley B.
Watts and was similar to one pre
pared by Arthur L. Hall, which Mr.
Hall did not formally present in view
of the fact that the Watts resolution
was adopted. The resolution, which
instructs the public affairs commit
tee to take the matter up with Coun
cil, was passed by a unanimous vote.
It asks t'ouncil to safeguard thei
bridge by the erection of a guard
rail or curb and notes the fact that
while an expert employed by Coun
cil a few years ago pronounced such
u safeguard unnecessary "this opin
ion has been upset frequently since
by the number of accidents occur
ring there which a guard rail or
[Continued on Page 21.]
England Is Prepared
to Release U. S. Goods
lly Associated Press
Washington, Dec. 17.—Great Bri- |
tain Is prepared now to release]
American owned goods seized dur
ing the war upon the establishment
of their American ownership at the
time the goods were shipped, the
State Department was advised to-day
by the British foreign office.
The goods affected include those
taken from neutral ships during the
enforcement of the British block
ade against the central powers be
fore the United States entered the
war. It is understood lo include
goods shipped both from the United
States to Germany and from Ger
many to this country.
OX MOVE SINCE 1 SIM*
Henri I. Ferrier, who has been j
on tho move since IS9O and ten'' ;
tired out yo(. is resting in this city'
to-night. Monri has covered IIIOH!
of this country, to say nothing of
the vurloUH other territories scat-'
tered front one polo to tlte other.
Leon, his Idg great Dane, is ac
companying Mr. Fetrier In his wan
derings. and iiovcr leaves his ntaste- !
The two will spend a day or so in I
Harrlsburg. i
, ous shrines. The act of devotion was
| to stick this cone in the soft crev
! ices between the stones of the tem
j pie, where they woud be perma
j nently plastered in as an indicative
j of the faith of the pilgrims.
Stone Ration Card
! The smallest stone was found at
I Jokha, and contains a list of pro
j visions which a certain messenger
I was to take with him on a journey
jto some far distant country. The list
i is a regular ration card, showing
j that tho messenger was to tote oil.
j olives and all the. rest of that sort
! of food, which appealed particularly
I lo the early Egyptian appetites. The
! stone is highly prized because it is
Iso rare. It was "written" up about
; the year 2350 B. C.
, The fourth stone was used in
I Babylon about 2,500 years ago, 611
18. C'., to be exact. It has to do with
1;i certain contract which concerns
| Xabupolassnr, the distinguished
! father of the famous Nebuchadnez
| zer. The stoge docs not go much
i into the details of the contract, or
| say who was awarded the bid, but it
. is undoubtedly an authentic examplo
of how they carried on business in
1 the old days.
ZERO WEATHER
TO FOLLOW IN
WAKE OF STORM
Three Inches of Snow in the
First Fall of the
Winter
i Temperature near zero will be
' iteached to-night for the first time
| this winter, according to a forecast
I of E. R. Demain, of the local Weath
. *r Bureau.
i Xo break of the cold wave is in
'sight; the temperature will drop
] even lower to-night than it wa3 this
morning.
j Last night's snow, the first heavy
; snow of the season, was heavier than
jin most sections of Pennsylvania.
.Three inches of flakes covered the
j ground when the average person
j awoke this morning. Pittsburgh and
| some other western cities reported
'two and one-half inches. This snow
jcanie as somewhat of a surprise to
: thv weatherman.
With last night's first real ofter
| ing of snow, came new troubles for
I railroad men. There have been
1 times when heavier snow storms
| were less troublesome. On both the
i Pennsylvania and Reading lines
j heavy trains moved slowly. The
; drifting snow made signal reading
! difficult, and firemen had consider
] able trouble In keeping up steam.
iTraekmen were out about 11 o'clock
j looking after signals and switch) s
j and keeping tracks clear about
: freight terminals.
Large shipments of coal are being
I moved over the Pennsy and Read
i ing. In order to get a supply of
j bituminous in the east heavy trains
jare in order. Doubleh'eaders are be
; ing used when necessary. It is said
, much of the coal supplied to rail
i roads is n. poor quality for keeping
lap a supply of steam. Reserve crews
; were kept busy lust night helping
| out crews tied up.
i DAYLIGHT SAVING PROVES
BENEFICIAL TO CHILDREN
!Cry by Opponents lo Popular Measure That It Breeds Tu
berculosis Said Foolish by City Health Officer
"Tltey don't know what they are
| talking about."
j So said Dr. .John M. .7. Raunick.
city her.ith officer, to-day wltett told
'of objections to daylight saving on
the ground that it has resulted in
i|ii increase in tuberculosis.
Dr. Ituunick denied absolutely the
j declaration that children do not get i
sufficient rest tinder such a system. '
i While they ntuy get up an houratronger.
MEN, ARMED TO
TEETH, PROTECT
MYSTERIOUS CAR
Guards Work in Relay on the
Trip From Kentucky
to the Coast
Four guards, armed to the teeth,
worked in relays yesterday to guard
what the owners evidently regarded
as oncof the most valuable shipments
to have been made over the Penn
sylvania railroad in many weeks.
Doors on the car were securely
locked. Even members of the train
crews were not permitted to loiter
about the car. Every time the train
made a stop along the route from
i Kentucky all the guirrfis stood ready
to repel any possible raider.
At the local station, where the_
train changed crews ,it was learned
that the car contained whisky.
Showing All Signs
Fail in a Dry Spell
Baltimore, Dec. 17. Word has
reached a local warehouse from a
New Yorker, who last week sent for
twenty-four barrels of whisky he
had in storage here, that when tliey
arrived in New York thirteen con
tained whisky, ten water and one
nothing. AVhen tlicy left here all
were full of whisky The mystery is
unexplained.
KICKS ALL THE WAY DOWN
Pittsburgh, Dec. 17.—Ex-Senator
j William Flinn, who lias a farm in
j O'Hara township, noticed plugged
; holes in his farm silos and found
| a spigot in the barn. Investigation
proved that the farm bands were
drawing, silo juice, mixing it with
red pepper and burnt rye, and get
ling a drink with a kick like white
lightning.
MAKE VOISOX. NOT BOOZE
EusVin. Pa. Dec. 17.—Mrs. Betty
White and Robert Labar, who drank
what they thought was whisky dur
ing a party at Mrs. White's home,
died. The authorities say they were
poisoned by home-made drinks.
WHAT'S A WIFE TO THIS?
Washington, Pa., liec. 17. —Jacob
Rush, a well-to-do farmer, married
Mrs. Rosclla White on November 24.
j To-day he was sued for divorce on
j the ground that since the wedding
he lias neglected his wife and given
all his attention to a barrel of hard
cidei). Rush is trying to get her to
agree to a voluntary separation.
J CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
COMMISSION IN SESSION
Committees of the State Consti
tutional Revision Commission re
sumed work alter a short general
session held at noon and plan to
adjourn to-morrow until January
6. Considerable data for study dur
ing the recess was presented to-day,
! including a charter showing the
| constitutional and legislative actions
j of each State in regard to education
; which was submitted by Francis
i Newton Tliorpo, Allegheny. Federal
i enactments were also presented. The
| corporations and taxation commit-
I tee received data relative to tuxa
! tion in the various States.
The first session of the eominittee
j of the whole will be held during the
afternoon.
TWO MEN DROWNED
I Newark, N. J.. Dee. 17, —Two men
| were drowned and another seriously
injured here to-day when a motor
delivery truck owned by a New York
rug concern skidded on the icy pave
ment and plunged through a wooden
railing Into Morris Canal.
earlier, the.v likewise go to heel an
hour earlier, he said. In conse
quence, their systems are not weak
ened and rendered more fertile fields'
for disease terms.
If anything, the extra hour of day
light bus been and will continue to
be beneficial to the city youth. The
hour furnishes more time' for them!
to play about in the fresh n'r and |
results in their bodies becoming
STATE TO BUILD
TWO BUILDINGS
IN PARK ZONE
Architect Authorized to Draw
Plans For Second Structure
to Cost $1,250,000
TO HOUSE MANY OFFICES
Next Legislature Will Be
Asked to Approve
' Appropriation
State authorities have authorized j
Arnold AV. Brunner, architect for |
the proposed Capitol office buildings j
and the Capitol Park improvements, i
to make plar.y for two office build- j
ings, instead of one. The last Leg- i
islatuie appropriated $1,250,000 for;
the construction of one building,
which will be located to the cast of i
the south wing of the Capitol and |
which will house the Health De- '
partmeirt and other departments I
now in the main building. AVhile!
these plans are being completed, it I
is the idea to make others for a |
similar structure to be erected to i
the east of the north wing and to j
care for the Highway and Agricul- j
tural Departments.
Both of these buildings will be in 1
the park extension and the intention
is to have the plans all prepared |
for the second building when the:
Legislature meets and ask an appro
priation for construction.
Mr. Brunner spent to-day in con- i
sultation with Superintendent T. \V. '
Templeton and Deputy G. A. Shreirr- j
er on details of the first office build- j
ing and when the Governor and j
members of the Board of Public |
Grounds and Buildings are in New |
York to-morrow to sign the high- \
way bonds they will go to Mr. Brun- j
ner's office to see the detailed plans.;
Incidentally, some matters ir? con-:
nection with the bridge will be dis- |
cussed.
Bids for the first office building!
will not be asked until later in the j
winter.
Cumbler Estate Sells
Big Plot of Ground to
Bethlehem Steel Co. j
Purchase of 275 acres of ground i
in the Hirst ward, Steelton, and
Swatara township, by the Bethle- !
hem Steel Company, from the
George W. Cumbler estate, was an
nounced to-day.
It is understood the steel corpora
tion will use the ground for a cin
der dump, and as about 100 acres
contain limestone, it is thought that
the company will use the stone at
the Steelton plant.
The tract includes three farms
known for years in this part of the
county as the "Cumbter farms," ly
ing at the lower end of the borough
and just outside the borough limits.
About 225 acres are in Swatara)
township and about fifty acres in '
Steelton. The entire piece of ground !
is just east of the present cinder!
dump of the steel company.
No consideration was announced I
by the trustees of the Cumbler es- I
tate or officials of the steel com- I
pany.
TO UIRDI.K EARTH IX SEAPL.VXE
By Associated I'ress
Sun Francisco, Dec. 17. —G. M. Gor
den, an aviator of Portland. Ore., an
nounced here to-day that he proposed
to start from San Francisco before
February in an attempt to fly around j
I the world in a seaplane. Honolulu I
would be his first stop, he said, and j
his route from there would be via j
Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Co-j
lonibo, Bombay, Aden and Port Said, I
and across the Mediterranean to Lis- ]
bon. He plans to cross the Atlantic I
via the Azores to New York, then to'
fly to Central America and return |
home by the way of San Diego.
CHRISTMAS SHIP HITS MINE j
I By Associated *l'ress
Son Francisco, Dec. 17.—The trans-I
port Great Northern, bound for Vlad-i
ivosok with 1400 troops and Christ- j
nias packages for the American
I forces in Siberia,, struck a submerged '
obstruction. 153 miles off Vladivostok, |
according to wireless advices received j
to-day, hut no serious damage was
done. The Great Northern is pro
ceeding under Its own steam to Vlad-j
Ivostok, reports received by the army!
transport service istated.
I
EXCHANGE RECOVERS
By Associated Press
N'cw York, Dec. 17. Exchangei
rates on the British pound sterling j
continues to-day Iheir upward '
course. Demand hills were quoted [
at $3.82 U, or % of a cent above yes-i
terday's close nnd 17 cents above the j
record low. Lire checks were up 34 {
centimes, being quoted ut the rate of |
12.72 for the American dollar, while'
I'runcs checks were tencentimes low- I
er at 10.30.
EIRE BCBNS CIiOTIII.VG HOL'SE j
By Associated Press
Cleveland, Dec. 17. Firemen j
fought for five hours this morning to'
save the wholesale clothing district '
from lire which started in a four- j
story brick building at St. Clair ave- j
nue and West Sixth street, entirely j
destroying it wilh a loss estimated
at $325,000. The building was occil- i
pied by wholesale dealers in woolen
goods and by tailors.
TO SELL MERE IT
By Associated Press
Camp Mcrrit. N. J., Dec. 17. Bids'
for the sale of buildings, sewage and ;
electric systems, railways and other I
material at th's camp will be opened i
Monday at the office of the Army'
construction division, .Washington,'
ii was announced here to-day.
DENY MASSACRE OF t.iloo I
By Associated Press
I.OIMIOII. Dec. 17. -Official denial
of the report circulated by the Itus
rlan Holshovikl that hostile Pereluns
hud massacred the British garrison
of 1.300 men at Meshed, Persia, was'
made by the war office to-day.
THIS TO BE VERY
MISCHIEVOUS DAY
IF WORLD STANDS
New Charlatan Appears in
Local Field With the Fore
cast That Seme of Us May
Suffer "Abrupt Removal"
While the Planets Play Hob
in the Heavens
NEW WOE IS ADDED FOR
CITY'S SUPERSTITIOUS
The world will end before the
day's tnd, says Professor Porta, as
tronomer in a Michigan school.
Theaters, schools and postofflces
will burn January 3, says Frank T.
Allen, Washington astrologer.
"Tills promises to be a very lively
and interesting day," says Ibe as
trologer, who writes a "horoscope"
every evening for a Harrlsburg pa
per.
There's'the three prophecies, all
guaranteed to be us good as prophe
cies ever are and each man is privi
leged to believe as much or as lit
tle as he please 3.
The "expert" who plays on the
feelings of the credulous through the
medium of the local newspaper
agrees with the others that the plun
ets are in position to-day us to lie
mischievous. "There is possibility
of an Important and abrupt remo
val," says this charlatan.
Well Press Agcnted
The ominous position of the plan
ets had been well press agented, and
some astrologers and persons versed
in witchcraft had maintained that
at the precise moment when the ma
jor leaguers of the solar system
formed themselves in a straight line,
with Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars.
A'enus and Mercury on one side of
the sun and Uranus on the other, the
earth .which had moved four or
five solar paces to the front of the
line, would behave like the one
horse shay.
Scientists had scoffed the idea,
but the superstitious ones recalled
having lighted three cigarets with
one match, or having walked un
der a ladder or having done in re
cent historic times one of the thou
and and one other things known fur
and wide as omens of evil days.
Old Time Tliencc
Students in Porto Rico are report
ed to have been so unfavorably im
pressed with their chances for con
tinuing life yesterday %hat they
asked for a holiday to prepare for
worst. Harold Jacoby. professor of
astronomy at Columbiu, intimated
that their actions might have been
due to the desire of youth every
where to have a holiday. He and
many other scientists maintained
that the effect upon the earth of the
planetary alignment would be nil.
Astrologers have predicted the
end of the world on somewhat simi
lar occasions for centuries. As early
as 1186 the world escaped qne of
theri threatened cataclysms. Disap
pointment at the escape did not pre
vent Stoffler from prdicting a uni
versal deluge for the year 1524—a
year which, as it turned out, was dis
tinguished for drought.
Mother Shipton, "witch" of Tudor
times, was credited with being
equally sure that 400 years after her
time in 1881, to be exact the
world would come to an end. The
prediction caused much agitation In
England when the date she set ar
rived. Thousands of persons de
serted their homes and went out into
the fields to await annihilation.
A'arious religious cults have made
a specialty In more recent years of
specifying an hour as the earth's
last, setting forth scriptural or
pseudo-scientific arguments in sup
port of their contentions.
Professor Albeit F. Porta, a me
teorologist. Is given credit for first
thinking up to-day's cdtastrophe.
U. S. Observers Scan
Sky in Vain For Signs
of World Cataclysm
Washington, Dep. 17.—Exports
who keep the weather under official
surveillance for the Government
scanned the heavens and the weather
reports in vain to-day for any sign
that an alleged solar conspiracy be
tween the planets Neptune, Jupiter,
et al, was about (o produce storms
which would bring the world to a
sudden end.
The best the weathermen could
make out of the signs as they read
them, was that low pressure areas
off the north Atlantic coast and In
the far northwest had combined to
bring low temperatures generally
throughout the country, except along
the southwestern border. The out
look for to-night and to-morrow,
the official forecaster said, was for
local snow storms in the Great Lakes
region and fair weather elsewhere
cast of the Mississippi river.
Amateur Astronomer
Said to Have Started
Rumor, Denies Charge
Ann Arbor. Mich., Dec. 17.—Pro
fessor Albert Porta, who 1s general-
I THE WEATHER!
lliirrlahurg anil Vlrlnltyi Fair
mill colder to-nlghl with low
est tcnipcrntiire ulioiK * de
grees. Thursday fair and con
tinued cold.
Knstern I'cnnsylvnrloi Voir, cold
er to-night, Thursday fair nnd
continued cold. Frrah northwest
tvlnds.
ltlvcri The Susquehiinnn river nnd
nil I's brunches vv'll full slowly
except locnl r'scs tuny occur
• mint *>t ins The <lllll tlt<
cf Ice will Incrcnsc In nil
ri ,ii. t stage of iliumi
feet i indicated for llurrlshurg
T'-u'si'ny morning hot n some
what higher singe nl I he reg
is, errd if the chnnucl become*
clogged with ice.
THE VERY LATEST
IN BUNCOMBE
Here's the very latest dope on
fate as furnished by a Hurrisburg
newspaper writer:
"According- to the stellar testi
monies this promises to be a very
lively and interesting day, with
business prospects very encourag
ing and eventful experiences were
indicated in the reultn of pleasure,
romance and social activities.
These latter should be handled
with unusual circumspection, as
Venus and Mars in audi direct mu
tual relationship are read as au
guries of mischief—owing to the
pronounced proclivities toward
overindulgence in many phases of
pleasure. The position is not un
fortunate, but calls for discretion.
There is possibility of an import
ant ahd abrupt removal, change of
journey, unci either of these may
result advantageously despite some
small get back or anoyance grow
ing out of n Lunar semi-square to
Saturn.
"Those whose birthday it is may
ook forwird to change* and travel,
but they should be careful in their
dealings and particularly discreet
in their pleasures. A child born
on (his day will be original, In
ventive. fond of change and travel,
and inclined to pleasure."
ly credited with having predicted
the end of Ihe earth to-day, mado
110 such flat statement, according to
information received in university
circles here.
Porta, who is said to be an
amateur astronomer at present liv
ing just outside of l.os Angeles, pre
dicted early in July, according to
this information, that beginning
about (lie middle of December anil
continuing!' until the middle o
January there would be a series of
terrific storms, earthquakes anil vol
canic eruptions. The opinion is ex
pressed in university circles tiiat
these forecasts have been strongly
enlarged upon In the telling until
the end of the world prediction was
attributed to Porta.
It was understood here that Porta,
a number of years ago, was a pro
fessor in the University of rutin,
Italy.
COMMISSION MEETS AS A WHOLE
Harrisburg. The State Constitutional Commis
sion met for the firs ttime to-day as a! committee of the. 1
whole. The preamble and declaration of rights of the
Constitution as it stands were adopted without much dis- I
cussion. Gecrge Wh.rton Peppex went on record as ob
jecting to any change in the jury system of the State, (
saying that the uanimous verdict in civil cases had been
found highly satisfactory. No effort wa smade to
a change.
I
<ULES AGAINST GOVERNMENT
* The government was declared by Justice *
Sdiikey ol the King's bench division to-day, to
. r to prohibit the importation of certain i
goods and that therefore Its proclamation to this effect
ii illegal The judgment is, considered one
i . .rt s ever rendered against the govern-
ARRESTED "INTERNATIONAL CROOK"
"
Philadelphia. William A. E. Mocre, described by
District At 'otey's detectives as "one of tjte most noted
intcrnation;- ■ •:< .ko." war. arre6ted at the*home of rela
tives here to-day.
SEEKING CAUSE OF COCKLIN'S DEATH
New York. lnvestigation is being made into the 1
cause of the death of Dr. Russel T. Cocklin, who was
found asphyxiated in his garage in New Y6rk on'Mon- I
day. Dr. Cocklin is a brother of Dr. Charles C. Cocklin,
of this city. ,
I
HAD EE? F RVED SEAT FOR WORLD'S END
Cleveland. Charles Johnson, 65, farmer, livinp
at West Salem, was in Cleveland to-day with a reserved
seat ticket so as to be in the front row when the world
came to an end.
i
MARRIAGE LICENSES
*rlnir 11. Wllllama, Wtiftlilntton. D. C.. anil Mabel W. William.,
Oil CIO'I Ueorae W. lOnxmlniirr, Annvlllr. and l.ucr li. Teabl, Harria
burit. I
LANE INTENDS
TO WITHDRAW
FROM CABINET
Denies Report of Resignation
but Says He Will Quit
Soon as Possible
CO N S 11) ERS PRESIDENT
To (lo When He Can Without
Adding lo President's "Bui*-
dens or Worries"
By .Associated Press
Washington, Dec. IT.—Secretary
Lane to-day issued a statement de
nying published reports that lie had
placed his resignation before Presi
dent Wilson, but disclosing that he
intends to leave the cabinet when
lie can do so without adding to the
President's "burdens or worries."
This is Mr. Lane's statement:
"With reference to niy tnlked-of
j resignation: I have not sent it to
| the President, nor even written it.
| but 1 do contemplate going out of
the Cabinet and have withheld talk
, ing to the President about it be
cause I do not wish to add to his
l burdens or worries at this time. Nor
| do 1 know when the time will come
; when I can. This is a full statement
;of all the facts. 1 have thought it
; unkind to say anything to him about
j the mutter and that any mention of
i it now by any one would be a need
j less annoyance."
OIOTS * I 5,000 IN .IKWKI.S
By Associated Press
Newark, N. .7., Pec. 17.—Platinum
[ and gold jewelry valued at nearly
$15,000 was obtained by burglars who,
! early to-day, forced a safe in the of
fice of the Jabol Ulnar Company, ne
carding to a report made to the police.
Two other safes were not disturbed.
Two other jewelry establishments in
[ the same building were entered, but
' the safes, one of which contained
! jewelry valued at SIOO,OOO, but was
I protected by electric wirings, were
I found to be Intact by detectives.
PAYS Ql AIITKIII.Y DIVIDEND
By ,'issoeiated Press
Newark, X. J., Dec. 17.—The Public
Service Corporation of New Jersey
ha spassed the regular quarterly divi
dend of 1 ',4 per cent, on common
stock. The regular quarterly 2 per
cent, dividend on preferred stock was
I declared payable December 31 on
stock of record December 20.