: CRUSHES HOPE OF LIBERTY zu Declares Agitation for a Consti tution Useless. UIELT FAN FLAMES OF REVOLUTION. Jitttktt Will He Ptvor Convocation of Na-tle-aal Assembly Consider Action ol th Presides! of Zemstvo Presumptuous and Tactless Determined Not lo Yield (lie Prin ciple of Autocracy. St. Petersburg (By Cable). Emperor Xicholas formally notified the country that the agitation for a constitution anl the convocation of a national assem bly is useless. Such is the construction placed upon the indorsement written in tiia own hand on the resolutions tele graphed by the Chernigov Zemstvo De cember 20 begging him in most loyal manner to convoke legally elected mem bers of the zemstvos to present a pro gram of reforms for his consideration. The Emperor wrote on the dispatch: "I consider the action of the president to be presumptuous and tactless. Ones lions of state administration are of no concern to the zemstvos, whose func tions and rights are clearly defined by the law." The indorsement is printed in the Of ficial Messenger, dashing the hopes of me extremists. It did not come as a great surprise. The Emperor from the beginning, although he has shown him self favorably disposed toward a more liberal regime and in entire sympathy wuii some 01 me zemstvo demands, had resoivca not to yield the principle of au toeracv. Upon this point it is understood all his uviscrs, including Interior Minister Sviatopolk-Mirsky. agreed, but the char acter of the agitation which followed inc meeting ot tne presidents of the temstvos and the action of various pro vincial zemstvos and municipal coun cils, coupled with the recent demonstra tions at St. Petersburg, Moscow and elsewhere, probably served to strengthen the hands of the reactionists and con vinced the Emperor of the imperative necessity for a plain-spoken announce ment of the sovereign's position on the main point. The reactionists undoubtedly regard the Emperor's action as a distinct vic tory for them. Nevertheless, the con ferences over the reform measures v .iich will be taken are still in progress at Tsarskoe Selo and will shortly be published. What the immediate effect of the imperial rebuke administered to the Chernigov zemstvos will be is prob lematical. It may also serve to fan the flames and be used by the revolutionary organizations lo increase the agitation, and in turn compel its repression. A correspondent was informed by a person competent to speak that too much importance should not be attached to the Kniperor's annotation, which it is be lieved he wrote in a moment of ill hu mor because the Chernigov zemstvo td tgraphed direct to him instead of through the Minister of the Interior. The informant pointed out that the publication did not appear in the offi cial portion of the paper, arguing there from that the publication was secured by a person who was interested in the effect that would be produced. While ny idea of a constitution or of the con vocation of a national assembly has been rejected, the informant positively de clared the Emperor had no intention of receding from his position to grant cer tain measures in the direction of liber ality. LYNCHER SENT TO PENITENTIAPY. Leaf Terms Imposed on Whltecappcrs Who Killed Colored Men. Erook Haven, Miss. (Special). In the Circuit Court lure Dave Posey was convicted of manslaughter lor the kill ing of Den Bayless, a negro. The de fendant claimed that the killing was justifiable, as he declared he found the negro stealing corn. The jury was out less than an hour. After the "usual mo tion for a new trial, which was over ruled, Judge Wilkinson sentenced Po ey to 23 years in the penitentiary. Judge Wilkinson passed sentence on other men as follows: Oscar Frank lin, life imprisonment for the murder of Eli Hilson, a negro; Will Franklin, I.). W. Smith, Elias Smith, R. I.. Smith and Elbert Gill, each 50 years in the peni tentiary for manslaughter for the kill ing of Jlcnry List, a negro. These two killings were the wlutccap cases which aroused the indignation of the citizens and catr.cd the formation of the Law and Order League. San Posey, who pleaded guilty to two charges of white-capping, and was convicted of highway robbery, was sen tenced to 10 years on the robbery charge and five years on eaeh of the svhitccapping charges, a total of 20 years. Jury L'adcr a Cloud. New York ( Special). On the charge that they had decided a criminal case by the toss of a coin 12 jurymen were mmmoncd to appear before Judge Hig fiins in Jersey City. The charge is that in discussing the case of a man tunned Eckoff, against whom a serious complaint had been made by a yountt swoman, the jurymen tossed a coin. If it fell "heads up" Eckoff was to be con victed. It did fall "heads up" and a verdict of guilty was returned. Eckoff j attorney asked for a rescrval of the verdict, and the story of the coin-tossing was told in court. lateen Destroying Hickory. Chicago (Special). Increasing scar city of hickory wood in the United States alarmed the manufacturers of wooden vehicles lo such an extent that t a meeting here of over aoo reprc entatives of these manufacturers the advisability of taking the matter be ' lore Congiesi was discussed. Hick ory trees have recently been attacked by an insect, which, it is said, is fast de stroying that class of timber. Hay Memorial Cbapel turned. Simsbury, Cl. (Special). The Hay Memorial Chapel, given lo Westminster School by Secretary Hay, in memory of bi son.Adtlbert S. Hay. was burned. The loss, estimated at $12,500. is only farlly covered by insurance. The fire suppled to have surted from a defect in the furnace. The chapel was iSuill and dedicated in 1902. Cx-Seaator SI:op Dead. Boise, Idaho (Special). George T. Ehotip, former United States senator from Idaho, died at his home her. Mr. wiioitp was in bis sixty eighth year. NEWS INOItfORllER. The litest Happenings Condensed for Rapid Reading. Domestic. 1 Judge Onsscup, in the United Slates Court in Chicago, refused to order n sale of the street car companies con trolled by the Union Traction Company and ordered that company to pay tin money required under their agreement. The county grand jury, in Cleveland. returned indictments against both Dr. and Mrs. Cliadwick on the charge of forging the name of Andrew Car negie to a note for $5,000,000 in Mav, l)02. Countess Maria Francesca O'Reilly d v.uiirti.t mis sued wrncral Urooke in New ork for $350,000 because he abol ished the oflicc of high sheriff of Ha vana. Mrs. Thomas E. Barnes was blown to pieces in Detroit by the explosion, in some way, of a cartridge which had been sent to her as a souvenir. A hearing was begun by a special board, representing the local hoard of steamboat inspectors, into the wreck ol the Glen Island. The jury in the Court of ('.moral Ses sions 'in New York acquitted Clara Ad Icr of the charge of murdering her lube. Frank Schlieman and Elizabeth Ku bia, involved in a counterfeiting charge, were married in the Tombs. The will of Miss Bertha Dolbeer was sustained by a grand jury in the Su perior Court in San Francisco, One man was killed and four injured in a wreck on the Atlantic Coast Line near Montgomery, Ala. District Attorney Jerome says the New York police force is more corrupt now than it ever was. In Chicago Dr. I.. C. II. E. Zicglcr sued the estate of Mrs. Harriet E. Mc Keevcr for $i.i6,ooo. Four foreigners were smothered in a mine at Garfield. A 100-ton floating derrick broke adrift in the navy yard basin, in New York harbor, and crashed into the stern ot the battleship Texas, sina:hing several plates. Mrs. Mary Britt, aged 27, married eight months ago, committed suicide at her home, in Germantown, Philadelphia, by shooting herself in the abdomen. Fire in the Exchange Building, in East Liverpool, O., owned by W. L. and C. C. Thompson, in the heart of the city, caused an estimated loss of $70,000. John R. McFce, a Chicago lawyer, was sent to the penitentiary for forgery. The money he secured in this way he spent in betting on races. Mrs. John Johnson, the wife of a la borer, and their two sons lost their lives in a fire which destroyed their home, in Bangor, Me. Calvin S. Porter, a wholesale con fectioner, of Buffalo, N. Y., committed suicide by stabbing himself five limci with a knife. Henry Bcrkhart committed suicide in Chicago while a constable was waiting to arrest him on a charge of embezzle ment. Fire deslroved business property to the value of $225,000 in Columbus, O. rive hrcmcn were injured by an ex plosion. Charles Summcrhcld fell m? feet from the central span of the Williamsburg Bridge into the East Kiver. The scarcity of water is causing seri ous embarrassment to industries in the neighborhood of Pittsburg. foreign. While sensational English newspapers charge the Russian government with seeking by underhand methods to secure false statements from English fidiermcu in favor of the Russian contention con cerning the North Sea affair, Russian officials deny that any agent has been endeavoring to secure any statements.. The former Crown Princess Louise, who was divorced by her husband, the present King of Saxony, returned unex pectedly to Dresden in the absence of the King. She begged permission to see her children, but was turned from the steps of the palace by the police. The opening session of the interna tional commission to inquire into the North Sea incident was held in the D'Orsay Palace, in Paris. Admiral Baron von ispaun, of the Aiistro-IIun- garian Navy, was elected the fifth mem ber of the commission. Continued intense fogs in England have coii:l)l' ii ly disorganized railroad trattic ami shipping. 1 he losses in Lon don alone for a single day as a result of the fog are estimated at $3,000,000. The convention on the status of hos pital ships agncd upon by the delegates of the powers in the international con ference on the subject, was signed at The Hague. Moorish tnhesmrn have surrounded Abaar and threaten to sack the town un less the Fn-iich consul and one British subject are banded over to tnem. It is reported that the French At torney General, who is examining the Drcv fus case, has decided to recommend a retrial before a court-martial. Among the diplomatists in London connected with the Balkans the sugges tions of the possibility of a Turco Bitlgarian war are discredited. The Czar has notified the Russian millions that the agitation for a consti tution ami the convocation of a national assembly is useless. The question whether Jews are pro hibited by their religion from contract ing plural mariiages has been raised in a case in Odessa, Russia. A steamship company composed of Norwegians and Americans will soon be incorporated with a capital of $2,500, 000. It is the purpose ot the incorpora tion to operate a line of steamers be tween ports of Sweden and Norway and New York, starting with three ships of 10,000 tons t?ch. The Russian Government Council has, it is said, decided to discontinue politi cal agitation, as it is not the time to entertain proposals for a change in the existing form of government while war is in progress. A Russian newspaper publishes detaili of the "Aigoboy Society," organized among the Chinese by Chinamen edu cated in Japan, and asserts1 that the Japanese arc trying 10 arouse China. The Governor of Moscow has official ly condemned the resolution of the Mos cow Town Council advocating popular control of the government. Rear Admiral Charles If. Davis arr rived in Paris to attend the sessions of the International Commission, which opens today. A dense fog in London caused confu sion among ihe crowds of Christmas uppers and there were numerous acci dents. Prussia is negotiating treaties with Ihe other German- states fur the collec tive management of state lotteries. The father rf Deputy Syveton has computing lo (the Piris courts that his on was as' assiuatcd. Forty ringleaders of the revolutionary 1 lots in Moscow have been arretted. ..'.. MINE FIREDJJNDER FORT Japanese Secure More Positions al Port Arthur. FOR AN ATTACK ITON THE CITY. lencral Nogl's Porces Occupy the Norlh Fori ol East kekewan Mountain and Pmh Between Llaotl Mountain and Hie Russian Headquarters Admiral Tofo's Report. The Japanese are closing in ior what promises to be the final attack upon the fortress at Port Arthur. Sunday they fired a big mine under the north fort of East Kekewan Mountain, and soon afterward occupied it with a large force, after a terrific infantry charge. The attack upon Snnshu Mountain Fort continues, and General Nogi's forces have seized a position mar 203 .Meter Hill, with a view to assaulting the new town of Port Arthur. All the Rus-ian war-hips at Tort Ar thur have been entirely disabled or sunk, excepting six destroyers. According to Admiral Togo's report, one Japanese torpedo boat was lost and another dis abled in the receSit attacks upon the Russian ships. Thirteen Japanese were killed and 1; wounded. Commander Yezoe, of the flotilla of Japanese torpedo boats, sacrificed his life to torpedo the battleship Sevasto pol. Through a snowstorm at night he fired two torpedoes, when a shell from the Sevastopol cut him in two. The Russian and Japanese armies have assumed positions below Mukden similar to tho'c they held before the battle of Liaoyang, and it is believed when winter breaks the next great bat tle will be fought under conditions like those at Liaoyang. Blow Up Portion of Port Arthur. Tokio (By Cable). The Japanese fired an immense mine under portions of the north fort of East Kekewan Mountain at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The infantry immediately afterward charged and occupied the fort with a heavy force. It is reported that the Japanese have seized a strong position about a thou sand yards southeast of 203-Mctcr Mill, preparatory to assaulting the new town and pushing between I.iaoti Mountain and the Russion headquarters at Port Arthur. The fighting against Sungshu Moun tain continues. The following report of the capture was telegraphed from Gent-rat Nogi's headquarters today : 'At 2MS o'clock oil the afternoon of December 18 nart of our army blew up the parapets of the north fort of Kast Kekwan Mountain and then charged. fierce battle with hand grenades cn- Micd. "Owing to the stubborn resistance of the enemy with his machine guns our operations were temporarily suspended. Subsequently at 7 o clock in the evening General Semeaniam, command ing the supports, advanced into the casemates, and, encouraging his men, threw his supports into the fighting line in a last brave charge. "At 1 1 :jo at night we completely oc cupied the fort and immediately engaged in tlj,c construction of defensive works. Our occupation became firmly assured today. "Before retiring the enemy exploded four mines in the neighborhood of the neck of the fort. We raptured five nine centimeter field guns and two machine guns, as well as plenty of ammunition. The enemy left 40 or ;o dead. Our casualties have not been investigated, but they are not heavy." LAWYER SENT TO PRISON. Squandered Money Secured By Porgery lo Bettlnf on Races. Chicago (SpeeiaD. John l. McFce, a lawyer, once in good standing 111 Cbirago, was scn'.cikcd 10 the peni tentiary on one of several charges of forgery. McFce is alleged to have se cured nearly $40,000 by forgery. Much of the money was squandered in extrav agant indulgence and on the rate tratks. Even while his trial was in progress the' grand tury was hearing further charges of forgery against Mc Fce. The heaviest lovr h Mc Fee's al leged forgeries was Mrs. Anderson, vic timized to the extent of $11,500. The tillers were chiefly Chicago banks. Mc lee was captured in, Louisville two weeks ago. An odd incident in connection with the case in court was the appearance of William S. Young, au aged lawyer, in behalf of McFce. Young was public guardian in Cook county during Gov ernor Altgeld's administration, and as such was convicted of embezzling the funds of his wards. Me Fee at thai, lime was Young's lawyer, as Young to day was lawyer, for McFce. Crew of Seven Believed Lost. Nantucket, Mas,, (Special ). The crew of the schooner Richard S. Learn ing, driven ashore on Long Shoal last Sunday, is believed lo have been lost. Both of the schooner's boats were found aboard her. it is supposed that the crew took to the rigging, and when it was carried away they fell with it into the ocean. Prance May Gain Cody. Denver ,Col. (Special 1 Col. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") will sail for France in February with bis Wild West Show. If he can dispose of his suit for divorce and arrange hi other interests in Wyoming before that tune he will not return. Colonel Cody is not as rugged as be was and has lived out much of Im span, hence he is tiring of strenuous things and is disposed lo spend the remainder of his life quietly amid congenial surroundings. A New Comet Discovered. Cambridge, Mass. (Special). A ca blegram was received at the Harvard College Observatory from Professor Kreutz, an astronomer at the Kiel Ob servatory, stating that a faint comet was discovered on Saturday night by Protestor Giacobini at the Nice Ob servatory. The new comet was ob served in right ascension 16 hours 14 minutes 40 seconds and declination plus 27 degrees ifl minutes. In daily mo tion, the cablegram stated, is worth folluwing. LIVE WASHINGTON AFFAIRS Congress Takes a Holiday. Congress adjourned Wednesday until January 4. 1005. The session of the Senate lasted only four ininutes. Tic attendance was small and no business except the receipt of a number of -, limitations from the President was ntUmpled. 'Ihe House wa- m session' a httle more than half an hour. The lime was occupied childly in discussion nf the Senate's resolution granting to the in augural committee permission to Use certain public buildings and reserva tions, including the use of the Pension Building for the inaugural ball. Mr. Morrell explained that the reso lution was exactly as it came from that body, and said that after consultation with the members of the District of Columbia Committee, and in view of the very evident desire of the House that the inaugural ball shall be held in the Pension Building, it had been decided to accept the Senate's resolution in its entirety. Mr. Williams (Miss) offered an amendment requiring the inaugural com mittee to give bond to insure tl-.c repairs 01 ail damage done to p iblic reserva tions and buildings. Mr. Underwood (Ala.) opposed con sideration of the resolution at this time, when, he said, a quorum of the House was not present, and called attention to the promise made four years ago that the people of Washington would con struct a place for holding inaugural balls. Asked by Mr. Mam (ill.) why the committee had "switched" first from the Congressional Library, then to the Capitol and now to the Pension Build ing, Mr. Morrell repeated his statement that it was because of the evident dis position of the House to hold the in augural ball in the Pension Building. ihe resolution was criticised by Mr. Mann because be said it permitted the charging of excessive prices for cabs and carriages, and he thought there should be a quorum present to consider that and other features of the bill. He objected to a motion for unanimous con sent to take the resolution up, and it accordingly goes over until after the holidays. The House then, at 12:30 o'clock, ad journed until January 4, 1905. A $100,000,000 Deficit. According to the latest expert esti mate of Government expenditure on a reasonably econonuc basis and of re ceipts from the present revenue laws the deficit for the fiscal year 1905 is like ly to amount to $100,000,000. 1 he Government has been running behind on a monthly average for this fiscal year of $5,185,450.33. and even if the expenses arc not augumcnted by the passage of the necessary river and harbor bill and a public buildings bill. and if the expenses of the navy are not increased, the continuance of this rate of deficiency would result in a deficit mounting to $62,225,403.06, or $30,- 000,000 greater than the, deficit of the year 1004. But the Government is com mitted lo river and harbor improve ments ami the erection of necessary public buildings, as well as to an in crease in the navy. If reasonable al lowance of $25,000,000 for river and harbor improvements, $10,000,000 for public buildings and $.1,000,000 increase 111 the naval bill be made, it will bring the deficit up to the $100,000,000 mark. On the most economical basis of appro priations this small provision for river and harbor and public buildings anil very snuill increase in the naval bill can hardly be avoided. Assuming that the Administration will "stand pat" on its military anil naval policy, there can be no cut in the provision of either of these establishments, and besides the needs of the postal system arc grow ing. During five months of this fiscal year tne expenditures have exceeded the rev enues by about $j6,ooo,ooo. This is $24,- 000,000 worse than it was last year. 1 his is partly due to the fact that all the money received from public lands is now diverted from the ordinary mis cellaneous revenues of the Government, being devoted under a new provision of law to the irrigation fund. But in addition to this is the fact that the re ceipts from customs during the five months of this fiscal year are $.1,704,- 0,13.15 less than for the corresponding period 01 the year before, indicating that the revenue from customs is on the down grade. Rural Mail Service. Representative Henry, of Connecti cut, introduced a bill "to secure the fui' use of the United States rural mail equipment and to place the rural serv ice on a paying basis.'" The bill provides "that within the limits of the respective rural routes served by post wagons parcels of mail matter shall be collected and delivered, house to house, by the carriers in weight up to 200 pounds mid in dimen sions up to a barrel no parcel, how ever, to be more than six feet in length." The bill specifics that the rates on parcels shall he 1 cent for eight ounces or less, 2 cents for a pourrtl, 5 cents lor from I to 1 1 pounds, 10 cents for a half bushel, 30 pounds; 15 cents for a bushel, 20 cents for a half barrel and 25 cents for a barrel. MATIONAL CAPITAL AFFAIRS. The Metropolitan Clubhouse, famous as a home of men prominent in social and official life, was completely gutted by fire. Several adjoining buildings were destroyed. The members of the Washington bar have arranged to present lo retiring Chief Judge Alvey a beautiful silver service. President Roosevelt has had Attorney General Moody prepare a bill to remedy the evil of ribatcs on freight rales. The House committee reported fa vorably on the bill to hold the inaugu ral ball in the Pension Building. The protcstanls practically concluded their evidence before the Senate com mittee hearing the case against Senator Smoot. Charles M. Owen, who was employed lo gather evidence against the Mormons, was the principal witness of the day. A number of warships were ordered out of commission. In the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia Justice Anderson author ized the sale at public auction of the art collection of Thomas E. Waggaman, former treasurer of the Catholic Uni versity. . A marble bust of Major General Jud son Kilpatrick, of Civil War fame, ha been placed in the reception-room of the Secretary of War. Gen. Leonard Wood has submitted a report on the condition of military af fairs in the Philippines. Secretary Wilson adopted the stand ards for food products recommended ti the rommUsion. WALL CRUSHES HOTEL Fi&ht Persons Killed and Several Injured. INMATES HAD NO INTIMATION. One Man Had a Premonition of Danger and Left the Hotel-A Woman Found Un harmed in Her Bed, With Which She Had Been Carried From iht Second Floor to the Basement. Minneapolis, Minn. ( Special). The ide wall of the O. II. Peck Building, on South Fifth street, which was left standing by the great fire of last Tues day night, toppled over in a high gale on lo the Crocker Hotel, a three-story structure adjoining. The tons of brick ;md mortar crashed completely down through the flimsily constructed build ing, carrying floors and all into a mass of debris in. the basement. There was no warning of the disaster and the persons who were sleeping in the vari ous apartments were caught in the crushed structure. Eight of them were killed. Some of those injured were in the Belmont Hotel, adjoining the Crocker and were hurt by the debris that wa forced through the wall separating the two buildings. The persons in the Croiker Hotel who escaped without injury were Mrs W. J. Crocker, wife of the proprietor: Hannah Crocker, her 15-year-old daugh ter; Will Crocker, her 8-ycar-old son; Baby Williams. 4 months old, her grand daughter, and Mrs. May Ritchie. A passerby who heard the crash promptly turned in a fire alarm, and the department arrived in time to check an incipient blaze in the wreck. The fire- I men and policemen at once turned thcil attention to rescuing those still alive and recovering the dead. This work was carried 011 under grcal difficulty, because of the darkness and a fear that more of the wall might fall. Mrs. Anna McNcvins had a remarkable escape. She was in bed on the second floor when the crash came. The fire men took her out of her bed in the base ment. The debris had arched over hei in such a way as to preserve her entire ly from injury. W. J. Crocker, the pro prietor, was found pinioned beneath a radiator, and was taken out in a faint ing condition. He will recover. Mrs. Carrie Boycc, who was on the second floor, was one of the first ones taken out, and was little injured. Jennie Mur phy was on- the third floor, directly un der the wall that fell, but escaped with slight injuries. Responsibility for the accident will be the subject of thorough investigation. J. G. Houghton, city building inspec tor, bad made an inspection of the standing walls the day before, but had given no orders concerning them. He had earlier ordered the demolition of the orhcr parts of walls that seemed likely to fall. The total loss is $16,000; fully in sured. C L. Smith's premonition of trouble saved his life. He roomed in the Crock er building. He was nervous and could not sleep. Twice he arose, dressed and went outsi.de to sec what the wind was doing. The second time he told a po liceman he thought the wall unsafe. The officer laughed at the idea, but his laugh ter had not ceased before the wall fell. CAPTURED ON BRITlill SHIPS. Russians Carried Valuable Chart aod Docu ments. Tokio (By Cable). The British steamer King Arthur was captured while attempting to leave 1 on Arthur by the Japanese guardship Asagiri. It is understood that the King Arthur took supplies to Port Arthur. She had on boaid Russian naval officers, who were attempting lo join the Russian second Pacific squadron. The King Arthur was taken to Sasebo for trial. The Japanese protected cruiser Tsu shima seized the British steamer Ni gretia, belonging to Allan & Co., Lcilh, Scotland, bound for Vladivostok, off I'lsan, Korea, yesterday. An examina tion of the Nigrctia's cargo showed she had a large quantity of contraband of vir on board. She was sent lo Sasebo (or trial before the prize court. It is reported that the Nigretia had on board ofticcts and men of the Russian torpedo boat destroyers who had cs c:.'ped from internment at Shanghai and were atlcnipii.-.g lo regain the Russian lines. Shanghai (By Cable). There appears to be no dorbl that the commander ot the Russian torpedo-boat destroyer. Gro zovoi, who has been interned here since his vessel arrived after the battle be-iwee-t the Russian and Japanese fleets off Port Arthur, on August to, took passat'C on the steamer Nigretia, bound for Vladivostok. The commander car ried valuable charts and documents. Ex'Gov. J. P. Eagle Dead. Little Rock, Ark. (Special). F.x Gov. James P. F.agle died here after an illness of ihrrt weeks. Governor Eagle had been president of the Arkansas State Baptist Convention for 21 years. At the last meeting he declined re-election, lie was also president of the Southern Baptist Convention. After retiring from office he devoted his lime to his planta tion and to church work. Ssn Juai'i Mayor Insaoe. New York (Special). Manuel Egoz cue, Mayor of San Juan, Porto Rico, who just arrived here, has come for medical treatment. His mind gave way after his re-election a month ago, fol lowing his removal for alleged malfea sance in oflicc. After Mayor Egozcue was removed from office a year ago on charges of destroying the city's water receipts to cover up alleged extensive embezzlements he was acquitted by a jury after a three days' trial. To Cut Tobacco Acrasf Richmond, Va. (Special). It Is an nounced thai the tobacco acreage in Virginia and North Carolina will be curtailed by half, if need be, to secure good prices and to aid in the fight against the American Tobacco Conw pany. There was a meeting at South Boston of the executive committee of Ihe Interstate Tobacco Growers' Pro tective Association of Virginia and North Carolina, which has 10,000 or 12,000 members. The farmers were called on to reduce their acreage in fa vor bl buuic supplies. THE KEYSTONE STATE Latest News of Pennsylvania Told in Sliort Order. A jury in court al -Media awarded MO.ooo damages lo F.dward N. I Ma. hunt nri M.-.r: 1 n..i..i 1 y ana u years, respectively, in a suit against the L'nited Telephone and Tele graph Company. Thomas Delahunt, the father of the children, was killed by a shock of electricity received through one of the telephones of the company on April 9, tyoj, at bis greenhouse in Chester. The telephone in question, with hundreds of others, had Isecn out of or der by reason of the big sleet storm of February 33, iocj, and on the evening in question the bell rang and Mr. Dela hunt took down the receiver and re ceived a shock which caused his death. The telephone wire had become crossed with an electric light wire. A previous jury gave the children $15,000, but' the Court granted a new trial. The case was tried by Judge Robert Ralston, of Philadelphia. Former State Senator William Henry Sutton produced testimony before a jury of view, which will assess dam ages due from the Pennsylvania Rail road Company for the taking of one and three-fifth acres of land from the real of Mr. Sutton's homestead at Haver ford Station, Lower Merion Township. The land was taken for the purpose of laying an additional trark. Several wit nesses testified thai Mr. Sutton was damaged to the extent of $50,000 to $70,000. Following the example set by Govern or Pennypacker. the Board of Pardons has taken to filing reasons why it re fuses to recommend executive clemency. I'ndcr the Constitution ihe Board of Pardons must file reasons -for recom mending a pardon, but there is nothing to compel the filing of reasons for re fusing clemency. The board filed rea sons, however, for refusing a recom mendation of ' a commutation of the death sentences of Mrs. Kate Edwards and Samuel Greason, of Berks County. The statement declares that all the evi dence in the trial showed conclusively lhat the murder of the woman's husband was premeditated. Higher courts had passed oil the verdict and sustained it and all the testimony confirms that both 1 Mrs. Edwards and Greason are guilty. Judges Weiss and Kunkci heard ar gument in the Dauphin County Court in the quo warranto proceedings against the .Mononeahcla Bridge Company tc show by wdiat futiiority it exercises the privileges of a corporation. The case involves the right of the city of Pitts burg to collect toll from the Pittsburg Railways Company for crossing the SmiMifi'cld Street Bridge in that city and has been pending for four years. The. court reserved its decision. A conference between Secretary of Agriculture Critcbfield, Pure Food Com missioner Warren and the agents, chem ists and attorneys of the Pure Food Department will be held for the purpose of arranging a pure food bill, which will embrace the best features pf lavys now in existence. If possible the bill will be so drawn th.it manufacturers who adulterate food and drink can b.' reached. I.illey & Wilson, attorneys for Chas. Johnson, who was convicted at Towanda for the murder of Mrs. Maggie Benja min Johnson, his sister-in-law, and An nie Benjamin filed twelve reasons fot a new trial. The jail officials found on Johnson's person a letter addressed to a sister, in which he asks her to pro cure laudanum, secrete it in a package of smoking tobacco and send to him. Other letters of a similar tenor have been intercepted. Johnson denied lhat he had anv idea of suicide, but said he, wanted to use the drug to produce, sleep. Judge A. S. Swartz. at Norristown. defined the rights of labor unions, when he sentenced Charles Mcllvaine, of Phil adelphia, to three months in jail, he hav ing been convicted of riot in participat ing in an attack of union steel structu ral workers on non-union workmen at Abram's Station last October. Mcll vaine had been acquitted of assault and battery on Levi. Hopkins, one of the non-union men. On a motion for a new trial, counsel for the accused man con tended that the fact of this acquittal should regulate the idea that he had not participated in a riot. Judge Swart, in overruling this contention, said: "The Court held that while Mc llvaine might not have actually assault ed any one, he might have been present to terrify. He might not have been present to urge violence, perhaps the re verse; but liis being present to merely stop workmen from working was in it self an unlawful act, and he would be guilty of riot." The jury in the case of Charles John on at Towando, accused of killing his sister-in-law and niece, returned a ver dict of guilty of murder in the first de gree, after seventeen minutes' delibera tion. The jury took two ballots, stand ing ten for first degree and two for sec ond degree on the first ballot. The ren dering of this verdict terminated one of thc hardest fought criminal trials in the history of Bradford county, and resulted in the first verdict of first degree mur der since December 11, 1874, when Al bert Brown was convicted of the mur der of Cora Crecnleaf. Brown was banged July I, 1873. LABOR WORLD. Thr are almost 18,000 organized worker- In Norway. Ther arc almont 570,000 clerks nnd copylHti In the" United rUatoa. Mills in the GnglUli cotton Industry are nguln running on full time. Mattiessiuakeis' uuioiia beloug to the Upholsterers' Intertintimia:, the A. b". of L. convention decided. Building Laborer' International will meet In annual convention ut Minne apolis, Minn., In January. , Advances huve been .undo toward co-operation by the A. F. of L. nud the Western Federation of Miners. There have been atrlkca In Germany 011 a largo aeale among the brnsa. work era, cabinetmakers and bricklayers, Memlioridilp In the American Federa tion of Labor has Increased from 40.0UO In 1881 to 1,0:2,20 at the present time. A resolution asking for more and better parka in the great cltlea was passed at tbo recent convention of the A. F. of L. All bricklayer' union were enjoined from striking on the building at Madl oil avenue and Ninety-seventh street, In New York City. 1. sympathetic movement to old the Striking 'longshoremen of thu Mer chant' Line at Huston litis tied up hundreds of bale of cottoii tUore. CGMMKCIAL REVIEW. R. G. Dun & Co.'s "Weekly Review of Trade" says: Manufacturing activity steadily itfV creases, testifying the confidence in heavy demand next year and trading' branches nf luiMties renort seasonable' I ..." :. .. . r .. conditions. Holiday goods sell morn j freely than staples, but all classes o I merchandise arc going into larger con 1 sumption, while it is the exception when I there is a complaint regarding mercan- tile collections. The proportion of idle machinery is growing smaller and the number of unemployed less, few labor ! disputes outside of Fall River. Low water at some points still pro vides the most serious drawback to full operation of rapacity. Iron and steel plants arc gaining steadily, footwear forwarding are running close to the large figures of last year, and irregular raw materials supply the only serious element of uncertainly in the textile in dustries. Farm staples are returning large profits to producers, and foreign trade returns for November showed a very small losS in exports, considering the abnormal flurries last year. Far from meeting with the setback that many traders anticipated, the iron nd steel industry has gone steadily for ward. There is 110 evidence of inflation ii. the present situation, fuel shortage increasing the cost of production, whild orders covering all the product of noma furnaces for the first quarter of next year testify to the faith of consumers.' This forward business is the licst feat ure of the market. Failures for the week numbered 27s in the United t Sates, against .V9 lat year, and 25 in Canada, compared with 20 a year ago. I Bradslrect's says: Wheat, including flour, exports for the week ending Dc-, cember 15, aggregate 1,444,800 bushels, against 1.1.30,369 last week 31,363,035 this week last year, 3.256.037 in iooj and ..W2.8.12 in loot. ' Com Eports for the week aggregate w,ck, 637.H.S7 a year ago, 1.526,141 in week, 637, 857 a year ago, 1,526,141 in lyoa and 330,941 in 1901. WHOLESALE MARKETS. Baltimore, Md. Flour Quiet, un changed. Receipts, 6,183 barrels; ex ports, 183 barrels. Wheat Firmer. Spot, contract, l.ui January, I.I2-)4I.I3 ; Febru ary, j.i4jifVji. i44 ; May, 1.1854 asked;i , stcan,cr N 2 ,.o4.y6i.04!4 ;. re-: ccipts, 2,469 bushels; Southern by sam ple, 05W1.10; Southern on grade, l.oo.vi &.u-yA. Corn Firm. Spot, new, 50j45l ; year, 50)51; January, 50'450s; February, 5oJ5o; March, SoJlSJ 50; steamer mixed, 48)449; receipts, 83.938 bushels; exports, 68,571 bushels; new Southern white corn, 4545o34; new Southern yellow corn, 45-M(5!50-)4. Oats Steadier. No.. 2 white, 364 sales; No. 2 mixed, 3535-)i; receipts, l6,53 bushels. Rye Dull. (Uptown.) No. 2 West ern, 88 asked; receipts, 2,163 bushels. Hay Steady, i.nchaiigcd. Grain Freights Firm, unchanged. Butler Steady, unchanged. Fancy imitation, 20W21 ; fancy creamery, 2"(3 28; fancy ladle, !7(a?i8; store packed, 1416. Eggs Steady, unchanged, 33. Cheese Firm, unchanged. Large, 12; medium, I2"l2;; small, I2j4(3l 12V2. Sugar Strong, unchanged. Coarse granulated, 5.55; fine, 5.55. New York. Flour Receipts, 19,076 barrels; exports, 5.598 barrels; dull and featureless. Butter Firm; receipts, 5,340. Cream ery, held, common to extra, 19(524. Cheese Firm and unchanged ; receipt 2,574- Eggs Steady and unchanged; receipt 6,708. Hay Easy. Shipping, 60S65; good to choice, 77'A!1$2' Lard I"irm. Western 'steamed, 7.30; refined, steady; continent, 7.35; South American, 8.00; compound, 5J'45N- Live Stock. - Chicago. Cattle Good to prime steers, 6.oo7.20; poor to medium, 3.60 5.8o; stockers and feeders, 2.204.io; cows, I.404-oo; heifers, 2.oo5-0oj canners, I.35(ft)2.0 ; bulls, 2.004. 10 J calves, 3.50(37.00 ; Western steers, 3.30(3 4-85- Hog v Market strong to 5c. higher. Mixed and butchers, 4.304.50; good to choice heavy, 4-42''i5o 1 rough heavy, 4-254-.15l light, 4.20 4.37; bulk of sales, 4.374-45. Sheep Sheep, strong; Iambs, toe higher. Good to choice wethers, 4.50 5.25; fair to choice mixed, 3.604.40; native lambs, 4 756.5o. , New York Beeves Steers. 15C325& lower; bulls, steady; cows, lofaisc. lower; ordinary to good native steers sold at 3-7o(fi;j.3o; two head at 5.60; stags, 3.005.4.00; bulls at 2 753-75;. cows, 1.253.25; one do. at 4 00. Dress ed beef, steady. Cables from London and Liverpool quoted live cattle higher at 9j'i)i2c. per pound, dressed weight; extra beef, 13c; refrigerator b-;ef, lower at Bic per pound. No exports. WORLD OP LABOR. There ' are almost 18,000 organized workers in Norway. There are almost 570,000 clerks and copyists in the United States. Mills in the English cotton industry arc again running on full time. Mattress makers' unions belong to the Upholsterers' International, the Amer ican Federation of Labor convention de cided. I Advances have been made toward co ! operaion by the American Federation ol Labor ana tne western reaeraiion or Miners. A resolution asking for more and bet ter parks in the great cities was passed at the recent convention of the Ameri can Federation of Labor. There is a boat in a canal north of London which is entirely "manned" by s women. The last English census re ported several hundred women doing the work of seamen. The Italian Ambassador at Washtiig ton is investigating the practicability jot . dispersing city Italians into rural com munities. He aims to co. operate with Southern industries seeking sellable while labor. There are In this country , nearly 2.000,000 children working for wages. About one-fifth of all the children in the land between the ages of 10 and 15 years are at work. Miners In 6cotland have agreed to ac ' tept the terms of Ihe conciliation boarj as to wages. Tlie basis laid down is a broad one, and will probably avert dis putes r some time to come. t The 60,000 member of the Brother hood of Painters, Decorators and Pa perhangrrs arc taking a referendum vote on the proposition of holding a ir-mr;-) convention of the or;-niz' 1 ,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers