THE WEATHER
RAIN TO-NIGHT
AND TO-MORBOW
Detailed Report, Page 6
g£ A ? L i'« S T H a EP VOL. 77 —NO. 32.
PLAN FIGHT
INTHESI,OOO
CHECK CASE
Pair Accused of Trying
to Defraud Banks
Will Make Vigorous
Defense To-morrow
MERCER SAID TO
HAVE A RECORD
New York Detective Asserts He Is Man
Who Got Thousands by "Ambu
lance Chasing"—Known to District
Attorney Jerome
No case scheduled for trial in the
Dauphin county court this week has at
tracted more outside attention than
that of H. R. Mercer and Fred Ijc-
Bnui, accused of false pretense, who
will be called to-morrow to face charges
brought by the Harrisburg police de
partment.
The prosecution has gone to excep
tional lengths in an endeavor to es
tablish an unbroken chain of evidence
aioun l the men who, the police say,
are as clever as any defendants who
have ever been taken into custody
here. A witness from Jacksonville,
ria., will be placed on the stand, City
Detective .Ibach, having gone to Jack
sonville to subpoenaed him last Friday.
This witness is an official of one of
the two Jacksonville banks on which,
the police say, a check for SI,OOO was
drawn and later deposited in a Harris
burg bank. This and another similar
check were deposited in Harrisburg
banks on Saturday morning, November
11. After banking hours on Saturday
cheek* were drawn on those deposits
by the two men. according to the po
lice. Advices received from Jackson
ville by the local banks on that day
were to the effect that the SI,OOO
• hecks were worthier. This informa
tion was given to the police and later
the men were arrested in the Metropoli
tan Hotel, where they were stopping.
The defense will seek to prove, it
was learned to toy, that the checks
were deposited in good faith, the men
not knowing that they were worthless.
Two checks had been passed on Harris
burg merchants before the men were
arrested, according to the police. Both
men were subsequently field under $:!,
000 bail by Mayor Roval. They were
unable to obtain that amount of bail
and have since been in the Dauphin
county ianl awaiting trial.
Look Into Mercer's History
Mercer, who gave his home as Wil
mington, Del., has been active in his
own behalf since he has been in jail,
while his companion, Leßrun, a native
Frenchman, on the contrary, has been
morose and uncommunicative. A de
tainer and a bench warrant charging
grand larceny have been forwarded
Continued on Fifth PnKe,
1915 AI'TO TA(iS NET $583,103
Left to the Police Whether to Arrest
Persons Who Delay Getting Them
It rests with the city [>olice authori
ties whether those persons who have
not yet been supplied with State auto
mobile licenses and tags shall be halted
and placed under arrest, according to
statements made at the Capitol to-day.
The Auto License Bureau of the State
Highway Department has been working
night and day to meet all applications
and has cleanc l its work up to date.
Inquiry was made as to whether, in
the event of the license not being re
ceived an auto owner could use the old
tag pending the arrival of a new one,
and all such inquiries have been re
ferral to the police authorities. It is
thought that an extension of ten days
will be granted in most cities.
( p to date there have been gTanted
45,313 permits for pneumatic tired
atitos; 4,568 for solid tires; 21 trac
tors; 60 trailers: 1,485 motorcycles;
14,067 drivers; 2,219 dealers; 8,873
operators and 69 transfers. There has
been collected and paid into the State
Treasury $583,103, aJI of whicih will
be applied to the good road fund.
"FORCE BAG" MAN ACCUSED
Seiferd, Who Figured in Will Fight
Charged With Fortune Telling
On a criminal charge of practicing
fortune telling and elairviancy Harrison
Seiferd. 1301 South Cameron street, al
leged to be a spiritualist, to-day was
heard bv Alderman Murrav.
Thf suit is being prosecuted by J
•lames G. Hatz, an attorney, who, in a
civil action, is representing certain of
the heirs of the late Martna At lams who ;
charged the defendant with having in
duced Mrs. Adams to give him the j
bulk of her estate. During a recent
argument regarding Mrs. Adams' will,
before Register Danner, witnesses said'
that Seiferd sold "force bugs," for
which he claimed mysterious powers.
801 l Stockholders Elect
At a meetinj. of the stockholders of
the Boil Manufacturing Company held
this morning, officers were elected as
follows: President, Charles 8. Boll; vice
1 residents, Samuel Gardner and J. P.
Melich; secretary, C. D. Rudy, and
treasurer, W. A." 8011. These officers,
including J. M. Peters, make up the
board of directors.
£l)c Star- Jntepenfrent
CHIEF REPORTS SEVERAL
DISORDERLY HOUSES HERE
Hutchison Says He Is Investigating
Them—Liquor Sold in Clubs on
Sundays, He Declares—Licensed
Saloons Observe the Sunday Lawß
Declariug he has information show
ing the existence of several disorderly
houses in the city and that he now is
conducting an inquiry regarding them.
Joseph B. Hutchison, Chief of Police,
in his quarterly report to the court,
tiled this morning, announced that he
will expose the owners and lessees of
these houses at the March term of crim
inal sessions.
The Chief refers to the houses as
"places where couples can get rooms
without question." IHe further report
ed that a number of hotels have "side
rooms" where women are permitted to
gather and obtain liquor and. he added,
"this practice will tend to draw dis
reputable females and sooner or later
will put such hotels in the class of
disorderly houses.''
Continuing, the Chief said that clubs
furnish liquor to their members on
Sunday, that liquor is furnished to vot
ers on election days, but that those re
ceiving it will not testify. He added:
"I believe the licensed saloonkeepers
all observe the Sunday laws."
George \Y. Charters, constable of the
Second ward, complained in a report to
the court that the contractors con
structing tiie subway at Second and
Mulberry streets hnve not provided a
foot patli rit the point of the improve
ment, compelling pedestrians to walk
in a roundabout way.
The Gratz constable reported that a
road one mile west of Gratz is not pass
able and its width is not sufficient to
permit one team to pass another.
The road between Oberlin and At
ticks avenue, in Swatara township, is
in "bad shape," so the township con
stable reported
SENATOR'S TEMPERATURE 104
Beidleman's Condition Causes Alarm-
Precautions to Prevent Belapse
The condition of Senator E. E.
Beidleman, of this city, who is suffer
ing from a severe attack of grip, was
ropofted this morning to be slightly
improved. Hani work he did at the
opening sessions of the Legislature re
sulted in his developing a severe cold
and the grip attack followed, but noth
ing serious was anticipated until yes
terday when a high fever set in and
his temperature went up to 104, alarm
ing those in attendance. His phy
sicians have, ordered him to remain in
bed until thero is absolutely no danger
of a relapse. •
Senator Beidleman is chairmau of
the Legislature committee arranging
for the inauguration of l>r. Brumbaugh
as Governor on January 19, but lie hail
matters so well in hand before being
taken ill that the arrangements are be
ing worked out satisfactorily.
Federal Probe of High Wheat Prices
Chicago, Jan. 11. —Federal investiga
tion into the present high price of
wheat was to begin here to-day to de
termine whether speculation or attempt
ed "food cornering" has had anything
to do with the recent sensational rise
in the market.
DPII QUI' IS
SEUPOUCE
Woman Taken From
Her £>tate Room as
the Vessel Docks in
New York To-day
GUIDING GENIUS
OF SMUGGLERS
Wife of Chinaman Is Charged With
Being American Agent of Group of
Opium Smugglers With Its Head
quarters in Liverpool
By .4»socia(cd Press.
New York, Jan. 11.—Mrs. Sophia
Ghee, known to the police as "the
opium queen'' was taken from her
state room on the steamer Philadelphia,
when the vessel docked here to-day, and
placed under arrest as the guiding
genius of a baud of alleged opium
smugglers of whom eleven men had
previously been locked up in New York,
Chicago and San Francisco. The war
rant under which she was arre>.
charges. conspiracy to smujjjjle opium
into the United States.
Mrs. Ghee is of English birth and
Austrian |>arentage and the wife of
Chow Ghee, a Chinese living in Liver
pool. She sailed from New York on De
cember 23, for Liverpool. A day later
evidence was found ujion which the
warrant was issued. The federal au
thorities notified Scotland Yard and
when Mrs. Ghee reached Liverpool she
was sent back to this city on the
technical grounds that she was an un
desirable alien.
Bilwin M. Stauton, Assistant United
States District Attorney, who arrested
her said she was charged with being
the American aig<ent of a group ot
opium smugglers with its headquarters
in Liverpool and that the government
was prepared to prove that she was
responsible for the distribution of $25.-
000 worth of opium throughout the
Unted States.
HARRISBBURG, PA., MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 11, 1915—10 PAGES.
BRUiBAUGH'S OLD
Ifflipi
Huntingdon, His 'Home
Town,' Will Send Big
Marching Delegation
to Inaugural Parade
THE INVITATIONS
BEING MAILED
000 of Them Are Going Out From
Here to All Parts of the State.—
Six Big Political Clubs Have An
nounced They Will Be in Line ;
High silk hats and black dress uni
forms, gorgeous club badges, yellow
canes and buff gloves will be very much
in evidence when the political clubs
that ha\c signified their intention of
participating in the parade get into line
here on inauguration day, January 19.
The committee on arrangements has
thus far heard from six large political
organizations that desire places in the
line, and there will be more to report
between now and next Saturday, or pos
sibly Monday, when the official pro
gram, including the formation of the
procession and the line of march, will
be given out.
Philadelphia will sen 1 two, or pos
sibly three clubs; Harrisburg will have
two, West Chester one and Huntingdon
one, but Pittsburgh, Reading, Wilkes-
Barre, Scranton and Lancaster are yet
to be heard from and will very likely
be represented by political marching or
ganizations.
The South Philadelphia Brumbaugh
Club will number 500 members and will
be marshaled by Congressman William
S. Vare. In its ranks, which will be
headed by two bands of music, will be a
number of political leaders of South
Philadelphia, as well as State and city
officials who one their political exist
ence to the Vares.
The North Philadelphia Brumbaugh
Club will be marshaled by David H.
Lane, Republican city chairman and one
of the political veterans of the State.
With him will march Senator MeNiehol
and a number of State and city officials,
as well as liunrtTdos prominent ward
leaders! This club will also have two
bands of music.
Plans of Harrisburg Clubs
The Harrisburg Republican Club will
be headed bv President Edward M.
Householder, th« marshal yet to be se
lected. The West End Republican
Club will be headed by President Harrie
A. Douglas, and will select a marshal
at this week's meeting.
The West Chester Republican Club
will be accompanied by a baud of forty
pieces and a pioneer corps of fifty men.
It will be marshaled by T. Larry Kyre,
former Superintendent of Public
Grounds and Buildings.
The Huntingdon club will be coin-
Continued on Sixth Pace.
MORE ALMSHOUSE DIPHTHERIA
One of the Nurses Now Stricken—
—Grand Jury's Visit Banned
Four new cases of diphtheria, mak
ing seven in all, including one fatality,
have developed at the Dauphin county
almshouse and the institution has been
place. 1 under strict quarantine. Only
Steward Barber, who is following the
health parole rules, is allowed to leave :
the institution. Women will not be ad-,
mitted to the home and the fact that
the patients have not come in contact I
with the male department is respon
sible for a ban not being placed on the
admittance of men to the home.
The authorities do not fear an ep
idemic of the disease among the 234
inmates, although they are taking even
precaution to prevent such a condition
and to-day issued an order prohibiting
the Grand" Jury, now sitting at the Jan
uary quarter sessions court, from mak
ing the regular quarterly inspection
next Saturday.
Miss BeuUh Weaver, one of the
almshouse nurses, has fallen a victim
to the disease. The other three new
pat ien ts are inmates. Children of
Charles Seibert, of Boyalton, were
found to be suffering from the disease
a day or so after constables found them
half clothed and sent them to the alms
house.
FIRE AT MECHANICSBIRG
Blaze Does S4OO Damage in Home of
Dr. Dougherty
(Special to the Star-1 ndependent. >
Mechanicsburg, Pa., Jan. 11.—Fire
starting near the furnace in the cellar
in the home of Dr. \i. M. Dougherty.
Keller and Frederick streets, at 1
o'clock this afternoon did considerable
damage to the lower part of the house
before the firemen subdued it. Smoke
going through the upper floors of the
dwelling added to the damage, which
may reach |4OO.
The blaze was confined to the cellar.
L)r Dougherty was nonunateif last week
bv President Wilson as postmaster for
Mechanicsburg.
Major Hart Again a Director
The Great Southern Lumber Com
pany, a concern which has offices in
this city and in which Harriaburg capi
tal is invested but which operates in
Louisanna and Mississippi, this morning
re-elected all the old directors, one of
whom is Major bane S. Hart, o>f Har
risburg. G. M. Whitney, of this city,
is secretary of the company. The late
Congressman Marlin E. Olmsted, it is
understood, was largely interested in
the corporation.
v. A~Rrf- r »
_ . . N. I. llwmid.
1 SHOULD WORRY.
CHIEFISTHE B'WANO TUWBO
Hutchison Ditpatches 'Possum With
One Shot After Coppers Fail
to Bag Animal
Chief of Police Hutchison is tho
champion '|iossum hunter on the Har
risburg police force. His men having
tried repeatedly to land one which was
feasting on the chickens in the coop of
Augustus Beck, Bons and Myrtle
streets, the chief decided to try his
hand.
For seventeen years the chief has
qualified as a marksman in the National
Guard an.l now that he is a colonel he
has not fallen away any in his mark
mauship, so what chance had the poor
little 'possum when the Colonel decided
to go hunting f
The 'possum ilitl not know what
mighty hunter was 011 its trail yester
day morning anil continued to munch a
stolen foul, all unmindful of the bead
the B'wauo Tumbo of Harrisburg was
taking 011 him. The end was quick and
painless, one shot from a shiny thirty
eight directed by the steady hand of
the Colonel of Eighth, dispatched the
marauder to 'possum heaven.
VILLA ATTACKS^ MONTEREY?
Believed to Have Begun at Noon To
i day After Operators Desert Tele
graph Office in That City
I
By Associated Press.
Laredo, Tex., .lan. 11. —An attack
i by Villa troops upon i.Monteroy is be
lieved to have begun about noon to
day. At 11 o 'clock the operators at
Monterey deserted the telegraph office
: there.
Since the defeat of the constitution
alists numbering 13,000 under General
Villareal before Saltillo early yester
day, Villa troi»;s have been reported to
:be making a rapid advance toward
! Monterey.
MRS. UOUERS TO BE INDICTED
Case of Woman Who Killed Children
to Go Before Grand Jury
By Associated Press,
New York, .lan. 11. —District Attor
ney Francis Martin, of Bronx county,
announced last night that he will go be
! fore the Grand Jury to-day with a de
' mand for indictment of murder against
' Mrs. Ida Sniffen Walters, who called
herself Mrs. Kogers, after leaving he»-
! husband /or Lorlys Elton Rogers, the
1 ; I'ark Kow lawyer, and who gave poison
1 to their 8-month-old daughter, Ijornla.
| and their two-and-a-half-year-old sou,
| John.
Mrs. Walters is confined in a private
room in Lebanon hog; ital, where she is
held pending complete recovery from
the poison she swallowed after giving
doses of it to her baibies.
Wheat Comes Down With a Crash
By Associated Press.
Chicago, Jan. 11. —Wheat came down
; to-day with a chash. Prices broke 0%
cents a bushel under general selling due
to rumors t'hat one of the forts guard
, ing t'he Dardanelles" had been demolisth
-1 ed 'by tfoe warships of the allies. May
1 wheat here sold as low as $1.33% after
i having been up to $1.39% earlier in
the session.
STEELION EXHIBIT
Off FOTFRISCO
176 Large Packing
Cases, Filling 2 Cars,
Contain Products of
Penna. Steel Co.
HATCHETS THAT I
CUT INTO IRON
Racks, Such as Are Used in Panama
Canal, Are Among Features to Ap
pear in Local Plant's Booth at Big
Exposition
* I
One hundred ami seventy-six large
packing eases, which till two 'arge
freight cars, contain the material to be
used by the Pennsylvania Steel Com
pany, of Steelton, in making an ex
hibition of its products at the Panama-
Pacific. Exposition, and are now speed
ing across the continent to San i'rau-'
cisco.
This exhibit, in connection with
that to be made by the Maryland Steel
and the Cambria Steel Companies, will
be housed in block 19 of the Transpor
tation Building, which consists of two
long wings, and forms part of the
square facing the Court of Honor. The
local company anil the Maryland Steel
<omftony will utilize a floor space of
1,772 square feet, while the Cambria's
allotment of room consists of G72
square feet.
William llendersoft, assistant super
intendent of the frog »iiop of the Steel
ton plant of the Pennsylvania Steel
Company, had charge of planning the
exhibit, w'hich will consist of prac
tically everything manufactured at the
big plant, either in samples or photo
graphs exquisitely mounted in hand
some red Russian leather albums. Hun
dreds of photographs have been taken
and mounted. After being numbered
they will be sihipped to San Francisco.
Of the finished products of the local
company to be used in the show are
the following: Design 177, Mannard
Cont Innrri on Plinth I'nicr.
SEARCH FOR HARRISBURGER
Say Man Who Dynamited York House
Resided in This City
Policemen of three counties were en
gaged to-day in a search for Kitfg
Brown, said to be a resident of Harris
burg, who is wanted in York charged
with dynamiting a two and a half story
house in the east end of that city
about 1 o'clock this morning. Eleven
negroes of the family of (i. W. Wood
were in the house which was literally
ripped to pieces, but all miraculously
escaped with but slight hurts.
Brown's latest address furnished to
.the chief of police of York is 142
South street, H&rrisfburg. His wife, who
made her home with Wood, said that
her husband threatened to blow her to
pieces because she would not live with
him. The local police have been fur
nished with his description and are
making a search throughout the city.
LATE WAR NEWS SUMMARY j
Official accounts of tho fighting in
the west from Berlin and Paris to-day !
show that comparative calm prevails
except at a few points Even in upper
Alsace and in the Argonne, where there
have been violeut encounters, recently, i
activity has slackened. Near Solssons
and in the vicinity of Perthes, however,
spirited engagements are in progress. .
The German War Office admits that
the French have captured trenches
north of* Soissons, toward the western
end of the battle line, but states that
further onslaughts were repulsed. The
French announcement says two more
lines of trenches covering 500 yards
of the front, have been occupied. There
is a similar disparity of statements con
cerning the progress of the fighting
near Perthes, which has assumed im
portance because the prize at stake is
control of railroads of high strategic
value. The French communication
states that 200 yards of German
trenches were seized while the German
authorities say that positions won by
their opponents were retaken.
Although further progress is being
made in the advance toward Warsaw
to the west, according to the German
announcement, the movement is slow
on account of bad weather. Loudon
suggests that the inactivity of the al-
Continued on Mnth l'n*;e.
GERMANS GET TRENCHES
IN FRANCE AND INFLICT
HEAVY LOSSES ON ALLIES
Berlin, By Wireless to London, .lan.
11, 3.15 I'. M.—Recounting the pro
gress of the war the daily official state
ment issued by the German army head
quarters announces that to-day in i.n
engagement near Perthes, on the center
of the battle line in France, the Ger
mans have recaptured the jmrts of some
trcnehes which had been stormed liy
the French and that the Germans in
flicted heavy losses on their oj>|>onents.
German successes are claimed in the
Argonne region and the statement also
reports that French attacks at I>aßois
selle and at a point north of Soissons
were repulsed. Unfavorable weather
continues to hinder the military opera
tions in Russian Poland though the
Germans claim to be making progress
slowly in the direction of Warsaw. The
text of the communication follows:
"In the western theatre: At Nieu
port and a.t Ypres ami south the only
artillery combats have taken place. A
French attack at La.Boisselle, to the
northeast of Albert, failed completely.
"North of Soissons the French, who
had estaft>lished themselves in a small
section of pur outer trenches, attacked
afresh but so far they have gained no
successes. The imttie continues. In
the neighborhood of Soupir (east of
Vailly) no lighting has taken place dur
ing the last few days.
"To the east of Perthes our troops
have reca|>tured tho portion of our
trenches which the enemy had taken.
In this engagement, heavy losses were
inflicted on the French. In the Argonne
forest our attacks have made further
progress. In U]>per Alsace the situa
tion is tranquil.
"In the eastern war arena: In Bast
Prussia and in North Poland, the situa
tion remains the same. On account oE
unfavorable weather our attacks in Po
land, to the west of the Vistula river,
are making slow progress."
POSTSCRIPT
PRICE, ONE CENT.
RUMANIA IS
READY WITH
60O,000MEN
Increasing Indications
of Her Early Partici
pation in the Great
European War
DIFFICULTIES
ARE OVERCOME
Requisite Supplies for the Equipment
and Provisioning of the Rumanian
Army Have Been Forwarded to
That Country by the Allies
By Associated Press,
London, Jau. 11, 1.27 P. M.—There
are increasing indications of tho early
participation of Rumania in the war,
thus bringing into play another party to
the combination against the Teutonic
powers contemplated by Great Britain,
France and Russia.
Difficulties confronted the allies in
t'he earlier stages of the war in furnish
ing munitions, equipment and other ne
cessities of war beyond those required
lor their own immediate needs. These
difficulties now have beon surmounted,
and tho obstacle which hitherto has
•bit eked full Rumanian mobiliatiou has
iie-'n removed with the arrival in that
'•ountiv of the requisite supplies for
the equipment and provisioning of the
GOO.Oi'O men which she is able to put
liito tlie field. Arrangements have been
completed also for tihe financing of
| these operations.
Lack of Stirring Battles
The lack of stirring battles at the
| present stage is attributed by British
! commentators largely to the determi
j nation of the allied commanders to cou
| ttnt themselves with holding their pres
ent positions until the projected ring
,of armies is considered sufficiently
j strong to strike a blow which they hope
| will prove decisive.
The British idea that operations up
! to the present are ouly preparatory to
| big events fits in with a bit of gossip
| now heard here. It is to the effect that
1 I>ord Kitchener, when asked concerning
| the probable duration of the war said:
"I don't know when it will end, but
1 do know when it will begin, and that
j is in t'he month of .May."
Real Crisis Next Summer
The opinion is expressed in some
quarters, however, that the inaugura
! tion of more general movements will
jbe on ;in earlier date than is generally
| expected, although persons in close
tough with tiic army believe that the
; real crisis will not be reached l ntil
summer.
Russia is still sending enormous
Continue!: on Klfth I'ntc.
HEAVY LOSSES PEPORTED
IN EAST AFRICAN BATTLE
Berlin, Jan. 11. —The official press
bureau publishes the following:
"The ' Morgen Post' prints details
of a recent British attack on Tanga,
German East Africa, which apparently
! emanated from the German Colonial of
fice. The first landing of S,OOO British
land Hindus was repuJsed\ by the Ger
mans, who numbered about 200, tho
1 British losing ti,ooo killed or wounded,
j The British attacked the next day with
| reinforcements, but ayain were defeat
-1 ed with a loss of 3,000. They then re
embarked and sailed for Mombasa."
Tanga is a seaport' town of 8,000
population, of whom 100 are Euro
peans. It is a starting [K>int. for cam
vans to the interior of German East
j Africa.
GERMAN FLEET HELD READY
FOR DASH TO SEA, REPORT
Pa lis, Jan. 1 1. —According to the
Copenhagen correspondent of the
"Temps," tho entire German high sea
fleet is massed at Wilhelmshaven and
Cuxhaven ready to sally forth and
meet the British dreadnoughts.
Kiel port is absolutely denuded of
first class ships, and only a few obso
lete vessels remain in the harbor, says
the corresjiondent.
DOZEN HERMAN AEROPLANES
DROP BOMBS ON DUNKIRK
Paris, Jan. 11.—A dispatch to the
llavas agency from Dunkirk says that
i a dozen German aeroplanes bombarded
Dunkirk and its vicinity yesterday.
Thirty bombs were thrown by the
airmen, but owing to the precautions
! that had been taken there were few
i victims. The material damage was un-
I important.
WALL STREET CLOSING
New York, Jan. ll.—Speculation
showed increasing breadth in the final
hour and the inquiry for standard
stocks became more general. Maxwell
Motors first pfd. and International Har
vester gained five points each. The
closing was strong. With little inter
ruption to-day's stock market moved
steadily forward. Gains ranged from
1 to 2 points in the leaders, to con
siderably more in the specialties.