mm. c (Semi-Weekly Founded! Wayne County Organ of the REPUBLICAN PARTY 1908 (Weekly Founded, 1844 St 65th YEAB. HONBSDALB, WAYNE CO., PA., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1908. NO. 43 VENEZUELAN WAR Government Prepares to Repel Dutch Invasion. FORTS AND WARSHIPS MANNED 'Acting President Gomez Hampered by Discontent Among Troops and Threatened Bevolution. Rioting at Caracas. r' Caracas, Venezuela. Dee. l.V-A de cree Issued by Acting President Go mez recognizes u state of war existing between Holland and Venezuela, Tho government Is making desperate pfTortR to strengthen the fortifications, man the wnrslilps and lay mines In tlio harbors, but Gomez Is haniperotl by discontent among the troops anil by muttcrlngs of revolution. The capture of the gunrdship Allx mid the presence of the Dutch baltlc Bhlp and cruisers has stirred up mal contents against the Castro adminis tration, and rioting has occurred In various sections of Carae-is. The feelings of this crowd were plainly hostile to Castro and to the steps taKcn by (Itiincz. A pitched hat tie ensued between the partisans of the government and the opposition. Many shot" were exchanged, and the tightlug lasted fen- live minutes. Sev eral men were wounded, and one lias since died. The police with rltles dis persed the crowd. In his decree Acting President Go mez told of the capture of the guard ulilp and said: I consider these acts a true Invasion of Venezuelan territory and an assresslon against the Venezuelan Rovcrnment.They constitute a Brave offense. Tho national sovereignty Is thieatened, and the terri torial Integrity, honor and dignity ot the fatherland Is in danger, il decree the nation In a stato of defense, and consequently the executive assumes and will exercise the extraordinary facul ties conferred upon him by section 8 of urtlcle 0 of the Venezuelan constitution. The Yellow House, the executive" mansion, wan crowded today with citi zens. Speeches were made demand ing that political prisoners be set at liberty and that government monopo lies be abolished. The threatened danger from without had a double effect on the people. They demanded measures of protec tion, but insisted upon the termination of one of the most unpopular courses of the Castro administration, the maintenance of government monopo lies. The captain of the Allx, who came ashore at Puerto Cabello. has sent up to Caracas the communication hand ed him by the Dutch officer who came ,on board from the Gelderland. This note Is as follows: On Hoard the Cruiser Gelderland, Dec. 12. Her majesty the queen of Holland has given orders for her warships tem porarily to sequestrate and embargo all Venezuelan government vowels. This Is a retaliatory measure. We de mand that you lower your flag and sur render your ship and your persons to the commander of tlio Gelderlnnd. All re sistance will be useless. If you resist the result wilt bp the loss of your vessel and death to many of you. The Dutch warships cruised today between La Guayra and Puerto Ca bello looking for Venezuelan vessels. CASTIIO WRITES TO KAISER. Expresses His Profound Homage to the German Emperor. Berlin, Dec. 15. President Castro has sent n mes'sage to Emperor Wil liam stating that he has come to Ger many for medical treatment and ex pressing profound homage to Ids maj esty. When he learned the news of the capture of a Venezuelan vessel by the Dutch cruiser Gelderland he was not greatly affected, merely remarking that there was no such vessel ns the Allx in the Venezuelan service. Cnstro, although having the np pearanco of a sick man, was full of energy today. lie was In capital spir its and chatted gayly with his suit, repeatedly declaring that he was ex ceedingly well Impressed with Ger many. Later he chatted with the charge d'affaires and the Venezuelan consul, A photographer who came to take n flashlight picture attempted to In terview the Venezuelan president, but Castro had very little to say beyond, "t am greatly pleased to he In Ger many," He visited Dr. Israel this afternoon, when the question of nn operation was discussed, Oil CASE RESUMED TODAY. Prosecutor Kellogg Had Hearing Ad journed to See Taft. now York, Dec, 15, Tho Standard Oil hearing, which was adjourned yes .tordny, was resumed today. The engagement of Prosecutor Franli fl. Kellogg with President Elect Tafl caused the stay In the case. COMMISSION NOT DISMAYED. Harrlman Decision No Surprise, 8ayt Chairman Knapp. Washington. Dec. IB. No surprise was expressed today by the Interstate commerce commission at the decision of the United States supreme court In the case of E. II. Ilarriman and Otto Kahn. It Is not felt by the commission that the decision will affect seriously Its powers of railroad regulation, Inas much ns the questions propounded to -Mr. Harrlman and to Mr. Kahn did not affect materially the determination of the so called "Harrlman cases." Chairman Knapp ot the commission said that the decision could not de tract In any material way from the Iiowers of the commission In the mak ing of future Investigations regarding railway transactions. This opinion was concurred In by other members of the commission. The opinion Justllled the refusal of Messrs. Harrlman and Kalm to nmke reply to questions put by the commis sion In the course of an Inquiry con cerning the dealings of Mr. Harrlinan ns president of the Union Puclllc in the stocks of other railroad companies, many of which are.competlng lines. In a dissenting opinion, concurred In by .lust Ices Harlan and McKenna. Jus tice Day declared that the effect of the opinion of the majority of the conn would be to materially narrow the scope of the Interstate commerce law. These three justices took the posi tion thai the questions of the commis-1 slen were entirely proper and should have been answered by Harrlman and j.,(lin 1 . . ' MUHPHY FOP. THE CABINET, i Former Governor of New Jersey Of fered Place by Judge Taft. Newark, N...I.. Dee. 1."i. Former Gov ernor Franklin Murphy of New Jersey Is to have n place in President Taft's cabinet, but he will not say what po sition has been offered him. To the question "Which particular cabinet position have you accepted?" FRANKLIN MUHPHY. Mr. Murphy replied, "I have nothing to say." The former governor has occupied a prominent position In Republican poll tics In New Jersey for nearly twenty years. He became chairman of the Republican state committee In 18!)2 and this otlice he has retained. In UlfrJ he was elected governor oi New Jersey, serving in that capacity until Ilia,. lie is a member of the ex ecutive committee of the Republican national committee. BOSTON WET OR DRY? City Votes Today on Question ot Abolishing Saloons. Boston, Dee. 15. The principal question In the municipal election, which Is being held here today, Is the following: "Shall licenses lie granted for the sale of Intoxicating liquors. In this cltyV A few days ago the prin cipal cities of Massachusetts outside of Boston voted on this question, tin ii-rMlin Ilk-til 1IIIIMH I'tl'lll.Y IllYlUCU, IIIIU the entire state and prohibitionists throughout the country are eagerly awaiting the returns of today's elec tion. In addition to the Important license question, Boston Is also voting foi members of the board of aldermen, members of the common council, mem bers of tho school committee and a street commissioner. BURNS UP $1,100,000. nwinn R....in Miiiinnair. r.hm.t. uu Relatives of Fortune. St. Petersburg, Dec. 15. Alexis Pe trol!, a dying Moscow millionaire, had his whole fortune, amounting to $1, 100,000, withdrawn from tho banks and the bank notes brought to his sick room. The bank notes were then piled be fore him and set on fire. Petroff summoned his relatives and showed them the ashes, congratulat ing them on having escaped from tho IliSTICEJO NEGRO Congress to Pass Law on Troops' Reinstatement. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE LIKED. Tardy Compensation For Colored Soldiers Who Were Innocent of Participation In the Brownsville Riot. Washington. Dec. 15. A canvass of representatives and senators show that congress Is likely to pass the bill rec ommended by President Itoosevelt to permit of the reinstatement of such colored soldiers of tho Twenty-tlfth infantry who were Innocent of partici pation In the Itrownsville riot of Aug. 14. 1 !))!. The president's message on the sub ject Is generally approved by mem bers of congress, and the feeling Is that It Is no more than right at this Inle day to do justice to those colored soldiers "who will truthfully tell what happened and help to tlx the responsi bility upon those who were really guilty." Willi his message the president sent a report from Herbert J. Browne and 1 " " " " '. " gated the riot. He says: This report enables us to llx with toler able dellnltcnosH at least some of the criminals who took the lead In the mm-- ......!.. it., i.i ... I., ...I..-. i..i.n.,ti iieious snooting or private citizens at Hiownsvllle. It establishes clearly the fuct that the colored soldiers did tho shootlniT. It appears that iflmost all the members of Company B must have been actively concerned In tho shooting, either to tho extent of being participants or to the ex tent of virtually encouraging those who were participants. As to Companies C and D, there can be no question that practically every man in them must have had knowledge that the shooting was done by some of the saldiers of B troop and possibly by one or two others In one of the other troops. This concealment was itself a grave of fense, ' which -was greatly aggravated by their testifying before the senate; com mittee that they wore Ignorant of what they must have known. Nevertheless It Is to be said in partial extenuation that they were probably cowed by threats made by the more desperate of the men who had actually been engaged In the I shooting as to what would happen to any man who failed to protect the wrong- , doers. , I believe we can afford to reinstate any of these men who now truthfully tell what has happened, give all the aid they j can to ilx the responsibility upon those wiiu arc retiiiy Kum aim bhuw mai mey themselves had no guilty knowledge be forehand and were In no way Implicated In the affair save by having knowledge of It afterward and falling and refusing to divulge It. I recommend that a law bo passed al lowing the secretary of war within a Hxcd period of time say a year to rein state any of these soldiers whom he after careful examination finds to have been In nocent and whom he finds to have done all in his power to help bring to justice the guilty. Meanwhile the Investigation will bo con tinued. The results have made It ob vious that only by carrying on tho Inves tigation as the war department has ac tually carried it on is there the slightest chance of bringing the offenders to jus tice or of separating not the Innocent for there were doubtless hardly any Inno centbut the less guilty, from those whose guilt was heinous. ! Senator Foraker, who has consti tuted himself a champion of tlio col ored troops, regards the message as a tardy and partial act of justice. Herbert J. Browne's report reveals ' the fact thai Boyd Conyers, a former ' member of Company B, confessed to a detective that he and three or four others led the raid. The reasons Conyers gave for the murderous oulluv.ik was the reported threats of the Brownsville crackers" against the negro troops. Mr. Browne says he lias every rea son to believe the confession genuine and that It gives for the llrst time the true secret history of the Brownsville raid. TAFT NOT TO GO TO PANAMA. Belief That Secretary of War Wright Will Go Instead. New York, Dec. 15. The plan of Pres ident Elect William II. Taft for a per sonal inspection of the Panama canal In January has been changed sudden ly. A man who enjoys the confidence of Mr. Taft stated that despite reports to the contrary Mr. Taft had declared that his decision to visit Panama was only tentative and that circumstances had developed which had practically determined htm to abandon the tour. . It was explained that Mr. Taft's time would be so occupied with nf. fairs of Importance preliminary to his taking the presidential chair thnt It was not expedient for him to make the trip. It Is believed that In his stead CSen eral Wright, secretary of war, will go, In order to remove cruel -war from his native shores Castro carried Ven ezuela's navy tb Europo In his money chestP. SEMICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY. A Galo Night for Peter Williamson Lodge, P. and A. M. of Scronton. The fiftieth anniversary of Peter Wil liamson lodge, No. 323 of Free and Ac cepted Masons, was celebrated in Scran ton on Thursday night last with tho in stallation of the new officers, followed by a banquet and speech making. Three hundred members of the organization were present. In 1853 the lodge was organized by the election of Dr. Na thaniel F. Marsh, for many years a resi dent here, as the first master. He was born in Kngland and learned the busi ness of a druggist in London. He came to this country and located at Hones dale, where he studied medicine and practiced for some time. In 1857, with Charles P. Matthews, he went to Scran ton, and when Mr. Matthews started his drug store in the old Fuller building on Lackawanna avenue, Dr. Marsh opened an otlice in the same building. The last years of his life were spent in Port Jer vis, where lie died from a disease con tracted in the war. Another very interesting feature in con nection with the banquet was the pre sentation to the lodge of a photograph of the lodge's llrst master, Dr. Marsh. The presentation speech was made by Thomas K. Wells and accepted on be half of the lodge by William S. Dielil, a past master. Peter Williamson, in whose honor the lodge was named, was in the early days of ins life a drug merchant in Philadel phia, where lie accumulated a large fortune. He became grand master of the grand lodge of the State, and later grand treasurer. lie retired from ac tive life and devoted most of his leisure time to the cause of Free .Masonry. When lire on July 30, 1803, destroyed Masonic hall at the corner of Lacka wanna and Wyoming avenues, Scran ton, and wiped out most of the regalia, jewels, etc., Mr. Williamson went to tl e rescue by replacing much of the valu able property, lost. Former Judge E. N. Willard was the first member to join Peter Williamson lodge, and thrice served as worshipful roaster. ' ' "AmoXg 'past and present officers and .members of the lodge we notice the names of Kingsbury, Matthews, Hen wood, Bushnell,Brandamorc and others, strongly suggestive of Houesdale origin. NEW THEATER BEGUN. Cornerstone of Institution to Be Laid Today In New York. New York, Dec. 15. The cornerstone of the New theater, which will be, it the plans of Its founders are realized, a homo for the dramatic art of Amer ica, will be laid- this afternoon In the presence of nn assemblage of authors, dramatists, city otHclals and other dis tinguished persons. The ceremony of laying the corner stone will take place In the vestibule of I he now building. In addition to an address by Mayor McClellan there will be speeches by Augustus Thomas, the playwright, and President John II. Fln ley of the City college. Richard Wal son (Slider will read an ode composed for the occasion. Miss Geraldlne Far rar will sing, and a dedicatory choral by Percy MacKaye will be sung by a full chorus. MOHAN-NEIL SCRAP. i i i Little Fighters Meet In Ring In Bos-, ton Tonight. I Boston, Dec. 15. --Followers of Ihf l fighting game who ns-einblcd heie to I I day expecr to see a l'asl bout when Owen Moran of England ami 1'raukli 1 Nell of California, featherweights. ot j together in the ring tonight in i Jit 1 Armory Athletic club. The boys an , j matched to box twelve rounds. I Moran claims the featherweight lltl of England, and Neil was formerly j bantamweight champion of America The two have met before, the honor going to Moran. The little Englishman also has the credit of having fought two draws with Abe Attell. The bet ting on tonight's light favors Moran. Haiti once belonged to France, hut the natives revolted and slaughtered ull the Frenchmen found on tho Island. Napoleon made believe to befriend the blacks, but the regime ho Instituted ended in tyranny. Yet In spite of the national hatred of the French flag tho rulers of the little republic take cover under It to protect them from the fury of their own people. Back country farmers will be glad to have tho uplift commission make dates this winter providing the ad vance agent brings along a steam fnowplow as pilot for tho steam roller. Calling that egg corner a shell game may be a poor pun, but the last laugh will be the punster's when the egg trust lawyer tries to mnko a Jail of fense out of It for libel. BURNED TO DEATH. Ex-Treasurer E. E. Fowler Perishes In a Fire A Sad Dispensation. K. K. FOWI.KIt. One of the steamers of Protection En gine Co. No. 3, was run out on Monday morning last at nbotit a quarter pa -t eleven o'clock in response to an alarm locating a lire in the l owler barn in the rear of the family residence on North Main street. The building was u small one, and as there was no hay in the loft, and nothing of much value stored on the llrst door, but little anxiety was mani fested by the crowd which assembled as to the loss which might ensue. Soon, however, it was rumored that Ex-County Treasuier Kdward K. Fowler, might be in the burning building, and shortly afterward, when the boarding of the south side of the structure fell away, the on-lookcrs were horrified by the spectacle of a charred hotly lying face downward on the lloor of the sec ond story, the whitened skull with its sightless eyes, beyond which could be traced the outlines of a partially inciner ated form, in full view. The efforts of the firemen were then directed toward saving the body from complete destruction, and when the ilames were sufficiently subdued, a hu mane onlooker succeeded in covering the ghastly remains with a sheet. Later they were removed to the yard adjoining, tvhere tliey were viewed by.. Coroner Dr. H. B. Searles, who made a thorough but informal investigation, and pronouncing the death manifestly due to accidental suffocation, decided an inquest to be un necessary. Tins official pronouncement will be generally accepted as the true theory of the cause of Mr. Fowler's untimely death. As is natural in cases of this kind, there have been many stories circulated, with such basis of fact and surmise as would lead the average person to a conclusion differing from the decision of the Coro ner. But a full knowledge of Mr. Fow ler's movements on the fatal morning, fully justifies the belief that his deatli was purely accidental. From his home on North Main street lie came down town, meeting Hon. E. B. Hardenbergli, A. A. Grambs and others on the way, and conversing with them in his usual pleasant manner. He stopped at a drug store, called on a professional Court st friend.visitedthecounty officers, dropped in at the Allen House, paid Heumann's a llvimr visit, and returned tn his linnu. about 11 o'clock, apparently in the best of spirits. To Mr. Keen, employed in punning a uuuuing near ins Home nn said that he was in lirst-class health, and generally "all rigid." Though usually 1 companionable and sociable, sometimes to a fault, be had been a total ab.-tainer for weeks, and careful inquiry fail.' to show that he had Iraiisgre-r-ed to the slightest extent on Monday. About 11 o'clock a drayman in the em- 1 ploy of tlie Fowler Milling linn, took a load of coal to the home of W. A. (iav lord, father-in-law of K. K. Fowler's! brother, lie went to the little barn back ' of the Fowler homestead, for a schute. i Kdward was standing in the yard but! did not accompany him to the barn. Be-1 lori! the coal was unloaded the alarm ot lire was L'iven. and. owlii" to its rrmid ' n ' progress, when the cartuiau, Mr. Keen and others tried toenter the barn through the half open door, they were driven bnck by the fierce flames which had al ready enveloped the loft, and were burst ing from every crack and joint. In this flood of tire Mr. Fowler per ished. How it started and precisely how he became its victim must forever re main a mystery. In the very prime of life, thirty-seven years of age, and hav ing just served his county ns treasurer with a flawless record, it is to be pre sumed that tho future held out to him ninny inducements for future effort. Tho very fact that ho was a successful can didate for one of tho most important of fices in the gift of our people, at an nlmost unprcccdentedly youthful ago, affords convincing evidence of his popularity. Thus honored and thus kindly regarded by his fellow townsmen, his untimely deatli must be accepted as a peculiarly sad dispensation, and will bo felt by many as a personal bereavement. "KID REGAN." Reported Capture of a Former Honesdale Boy Long Hunted as a Murderer. The New York World of Saturday last contains an account of the capture in California of Peter, alias "Kid" Regan, sott of Peter Regan, who several years ago carried on the shoe making and cobbling business on Main street, below Sixth, but later, with his family, went to New York city to live. The father him self was a peaceable, industrious and much respected man while living here, and, in fact, all of the family were well thought of with the exception of "Kid," who got into many boyish scrapes, some or them of a serious nature. The story of his alleged crime in New York, and his reported capture is tints told bv Tin World : After a search extending over three years, Peter Hegan, alias "Kid" Regati, who is wanted (or murdering Nov Joyce, during a gang light in Tobev's'cafe, at Broadway and Thirtieth street, in Atiril. HK)5, is believed to have been arrested ak08 A"teIcs' California, tXZ iffll ttK missioner Woods, in charge of the Dc- tective Bureau, had received information that "Kid" Regan was in custody, then was a great stir among the old 'timers, for a certain faction in the Police De partment had done everything possible to block the efforts made to capture him. The accused man is a brother of Lieut. , Martin Regan. Soon after the minder I of Jovce, the "system" became active, I and for , weeks Regan remained in tint city, frequenting his old haunts and vis I iting his friends, while supposedly everv niuecoat and plainclothes man on the force wa.- trying night and dav to cap ture him. Regan had connections with the police which led to (lie inner circles of the "system," and lie was kept posted on all that was going on. The little gang tighter, who had been a member of Paul Kelly's notorious band of thugs, was seen often on Broadway and the Bowery, but he was not arrested. Police Com missioner McAdoo bad men assigned to hunt down the murderer, and they made false reports to him, it was said. Among the men to fall under suspicion of having protected "Kid" Regan was Lieut. Frank Peabody, who is now out of the Police Department. Peabody has been a most persistent hunter for the fugitive murderer ever since his retire ment. "By capturing Regan I will vindicate myself and will find him if he is alive," said Peabody. It was through information obtained by Peabody that the present suspect, was captured in California, it is said. Last April Peabody thought he was on the trail of "Kid" Regan, and he caused the arrest in Port Jervis, N. Y., of a man he believed to be the murderer. This sus pect turned out to be Thomas Regan, a brother of the missing gang fighter. Thomas Regan told the authori ties at Police Headquarters that while working on a railroad he met his brother nearPocatello, Idaho. Onenight.ThomaH Regan said, his brother fell between two freight cars and was ground to deatli. He was buried in the Potter's Field, at Pocatello, his brother said. This story was gladly accepted bv cer tain persons at Police Headquarters, and the search for "Kid" Regan was prac tically abandoned. Peabody refused to believe the story was true and renewed his efforts to find the fugitive on the theory that Regan might become bolder in view of the report that he was dead. .- j , j garding the arrest of the man believed to be Regan is meagre. Deputy Police Commissioner Woods said be was not , jV.ndt''' UlC' c"I,U,a' luul j '"Weareprettv sure we liave the right man, nut until l am positive 1 do not. ! care to say more about the cum than that a man answering ine (locnpiion ol "Kid Regan, and who ue have other reasons lor believing to be the fugitive murderer, is under arrest s etvhern in the Wel," he said. "Whether we will send Mime one to identify the man, or whether he can be identified be those who have him in custody, 1 do not know. If the sn.-pect is identified we will have him extradited and brought here to stand trial." A Coroner's jury lias held Regan re sponsible for Die murder of Rov Joyce, which was the outcome of one of the most sensational gang lights ever known in tlie Tenderloin. Regan and several members of the Paul Kellv gang were sitting in the rathskellar of'Tohev's cafe when a woman who was with Regan, , left him lo go to a table where another 1 ...... ..:.:.... i ii i. . r..n , , man nun ruling. j "gill lOllOWCU IIUU Joyce attempted to interfere. Regan had no grudge against Jovce, hut he stabbed him to death. Three other men were seriously wounded. Death of Joseph A. Dear. Joseph A. Dear, publisher of the Jer sey City Evening Journal, died at his home in thatcityon Thursday, Dec. 10th, 1008, of a complication of diseases, aged (18 years. Ho was born in England, and did newspaper work there before com ing to this country in 1804 and connect ing himself with New York city journals. In 1807 he settled in Jersey City and soon won a position among tho leading citizens in his new field of labor. He is survived by a widow, ono daughter, Mrs. Howard T. Gumey, wife of tho president and general manager of the Honesdale National Elevator and Ma chine Works, and four sons, one of whom, Joseph A. Dear, Jr., is the man aging editor of tlio Evening Journal. Mr. Dear was a stockholder in the Honesdale Elevator Works.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers