Evening Star Newspaper, May 28, 1897, Page 2

were not properly within the domain of the committee. To some he simply sal “I_must decline to answer that question. But Uttle time was lost this morning in jetting down to business. Less than twen- minutes was occupied in securing a jury. and immediately upon their being sworn Assistant District Attorney Baker began the apening address on behalf of the gov- ernment. Mr: Baker began by stating that ‘an in- dictment had been found against the sec- retary of the American Sugar Refining Ccmpany October 1, 1804. He then read portians of the indictment found by the grand jury of the District, and -stated to the Jury that the government expected t# prove that Mr. Searles had been duly subpoenaed to appear before the Senate investigating committee, which was a prop- erly constituted body; that he had appeared before that body; that certain questions had been propounded to him, and that some of these questions he had positively Tefused to answer. Mr. Baker's address covered the ground pretty thoroughly, and yet it was a model of trevity, for it cc- <upied only about seven or eight minutes in the delivery. - Mr. Johnson announced that the defense would reserve its opening. and by 10 o'clock the preliminaries had heen clea away and the submission of testimoay beean. After the printed record of the hearings of the Senate committce had been placed in evidence Mr. Baker proceeded to read certain extracts, which went to show that Mr. Searles when on the wiiness stand had @ way of answering such questions as he approved of, but evaded or nsAutely re- fused to answer others that were not to his liking, such, for example, as had ref- erence to the matter of the sugar trust's contributions for political purpos On the Jury. In a certain sense the committee’s record was a witness, and as such was subject to cross-examination. After Mr. Baker had concirded his read- ing and left the impression that Mr. Searles was pretty weak on his catechism Mr. Johnson took up that formidable looking document and proceeded to read at greater length for the purpose of showing how very many questions Mr. Searles really had answered and what an admirable wi ness he had been except when he was sa isfled that the committee was exceeding its authority. s Sevegal others of the interested parties were also in court this morning. Mr. Chapman was not ught up from jail this morning, but Mr» Shriver was present and sat with ex-Judge Dittenhoefer just back of Mr. Searles’ coun: Arrang: ments were made this morning whereb the trials of Mr. Shriver and Mr. E. J. Edwards, the two contumacious newspaper correspondents, will begin Monday, June 7. The Trial Started. District Attorney Davis was assis’ Mr. Daniel W. Baker, one of his assistants, and both sides stating that they were ready to proceed, ilttle time was exhausted in the selection of the jury, the following being sworn to try the case: Samuel Wen- dell, Chas. R. Dodge, John M. White, Jo- seph Walker, Geo. Z. Colison, Walter 8. Clifford, Geo. A. Holtman, E. Waish Ash- ford, -o. F. Bateman, M. B. Flynn, El- mer E. King and A. Campbell After it had been agreed that the court will adjourn the trial from this afternoon over to Tuesday morning, Mr. Baker open- @d the case to the jury on behalf of the government, explaining what the prosecu- tion expected to preve. He recited the ap- pointment of the Senate's investigating committee, the summening of Mr. Searles, the asking of the questions and ht pfusal to answer them. Counsel for the defense reserved their i after Mr. Davis had put in 's time without objection on he defense, the great mass of testimcny admitted in the ed by documentary Havemeyer trial respecting the election of Senaters Murphy of New York and Smith of New Jersey. the appointment of the Senate's committee, the legislation in cor- rection with the Wilson tariff bill, etc.. as well as the summoning of Mr. Searles be- fere the committee, Mr. Davis called as his first witness Stenographer Prentiss, who took Mr. Searles’ testimony before the committee. Counsel for the defense, how- ever, stated that they would not put Mr. Prentiss to the trouble of testifying, agree- ing to accept as evidence of the proceed- ings before the committee the printed re- port of the committee. Reading Extracts. Mr. Baker then proceeded to read ex- tracts from Mr. Searles’ testimony, during which it appeared that Mr. Searles stated that while contributions were made by his company for local campaign purposes, none were made to the national campaign. Ask- ed as to what state contributions had been made, Mr. Searles declined to say on the ground that it was not in the provinc= of the investigating coramitiee to make thal iiquiry. It also transpired that the de- fendant refused to state whether the com- pany contributed to the state democratic campaign in 1892, on the same ground. Mr. Johnson next read from the report showing that Mr. Searles admitted cali- ing upon Senator Jones of Arkansas, chairman of the Senate fmance committee, i Felation to the action of the committee in_the matter of the sugar schedule. Mr. Johnson showed by the extracts read by him that Mr. Searles had an interview of about an hour with Senator Jones, the interview being a very pleasant one, dur- ing which the defendant explained that all his company wanted was that it should re- ceive the same fair treatment at the hands of the Senate that other similar interests received. It was also developed by Mr. Johnson's extracts that the defendant told the investigating committee that since the organization of his committee the price of sugar was made about three cents a pound cheaper to the consumer. Replying to questions asked him by Senator Allen, Mr. Searles stated that while political contributions were made by the American Sugar Retining Company to local and prob- ably state purposes in 1892, he had no per- sonal knowledge of them, or how or for what purpose they were used. Such con- tributions, he explained, were generally made by an officer of the company, usual- ly the president, and were, he imagined, charged up against the expense account. Testifying further, Mr: Searles said that he had never hesitated to ask the opinion of senators as to the probable action of the Senate in the matter of the sugar schedule, and received about as many opinions as senators asked. The defendant, it appeared, refused to produce the company's books, and that point was not pressed by the committee. He declared that the company had no pri- vate wire between here and New York, and also declared that he had never given any senator or representative points in the matter of speculation in sugar stocks, and had never speculated in them on behalf of any senator or representative. Senator Gray. After the reeding of Mr. Searles’ testi- mcny hae been conclvded District Attor- ney Davis called Scnator George Gray of Delaware, the chairman of the investigat- ing committee, to the witness stand. He stated that be, as chairman of the commit- tee, first exemined the witnesses, when they were turned over to individual mem- bers of the committee for examination. In that way Mr. Searles was examired. To Mr. Johnson Serator Gray stated that in the case cf Mr. Chapman he asked the question Mr. Chapman refused to answer. Senator Gray also said that in the opinion of Scnato: Lindsay and bimself Mr. Searles ‘was not in contempt, because he had tated that no contributions for national campaign purpeses had been made by his company, and because he had said that no contributions tad been mad by the com- pany to influence legislation. To Judge Bradley, Senator Gray said that the examination of Mr. Searles was con- tinued after he had Gefused to answer the questions .set aut “ta .the: ~. The senator told Judge Bradiey ‘the defendant. was not by the commit- | Restion by the committee, was there, sena- tor, that the committee required anything further from Mr. Searles when he finally left the witness stund?” - Senator Gray—“None that I am now awsre of, and I see that the report 10t suggest anything to the eontrary.” Johnson—“That is all, senater; I Mr. thank you.” Senator Gray was then excused from the witness stand, whi District Attorney Yavis announced the “of ee re ment’s case. Mr. JoWson, on if of Mr. Searles, promptly moved the court to instruct the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. Arguing the Moti Mr. Johnson explained that he based the motion on three grounds: First, the cause of the questions, as put to the defendant, were relevant to nothing concerning which the committee could be supposed to be au- thorized to inquire; second, because there is no evidence of contempt of the commit- tee, but simply contempt, possibly, of Son- ator Allen, and, third, because the Senate hafi no power whatever to put the ques- tions, even if the resolution directing the ———- authorized the putting of them. In support of the motion for a verdict of not guilty, Mr. Johnson reported his forci- ble and eloquent argument made in the Havemeyer case, He submitted ‘that there couid be absolutely no doubt that the questions asked Mr. Searles ‘by Senator Allen Were improper and impertinent. The | committee had no right to assume, in the first place, that the defendant knew how the democratic party used the contribu- tions alleged to have been made by his mpany. “Why,” exclaimed Mr. Johnson, he Tammany people have a fund, I am told, used for pensioning their wounded braves.” “My objections may be technical,” said the Philadelphia lawyer, “but I wouid much prefer to have that term applied to them than to have applied to them the term which Senator Allen’s questions de- served.” Mr. Johnson laid great stress on what he insisted was a fatal defect in the pros- ecution of Mr. Searles in the committee's failure to subpoena him as an ‘oilicer of the American Sugar Refining Company. He was, said Mr. Johnson, summoned as 2 private citizen, and not as an officer of the company. ‘Therefore he could not be compelled to answer in full as to what the company did. “No doubt,” remarked Mr. Johnson, “the questions as they came frem the great head—no, I should not say great head-- from the great Urain of Senator Allen were theught by him to be very shrewd and captivating, but it was not, being neither pertinent nor proper. Hence, Mr. Searles stands tndicted raally not for contempt of the Senate or its committee, but for con- tempt of Senator Allen.” Befcre Mr. Johnsen concluded Judze Bradley, 2t his request, ordered a recess > until 1 o'clock. . Johrson, in resuming his argument after recess, dwelt at some length upon the failure of the committee to inform Mr. Se:rles that the questions asked him by serators were the questions of the commit- tee, ané that arswers to them would be irsisted upon by the cemmittee. No such thing, said Mr. Johnson, occurred in the case of the defendant, and then he con- trasted the proceedings before the commit- tee when Mr. Chapman and Correspondent Edwards cdeclined to answer the commit- tee’s qtestions. In their cases, he explained, each man was informed that answers would be in- sisted upon, and that they would not be excused from answering, notwithstanding the advice given them by their counsel. ven if that had been done in Mr. Sea e, submitted Mr. Johnson, the defendant would not have been bound to reply, for the questions put to hith were not in the power of the Senate to ask. Those questions, he remarked, might be permissible under the provisions of the Constitution and the laws of the country, as the Constitution and laws are under- stood by senaters of the United States, but rot as understood by incorruptible judges. Reading the decision cf the United States Supreme Court in (he Chapman case, Mr. Johnson said that the court held in that case that the Senate could only Inquire into matters affecting its own raembers, and he submitted, therefore, that even if it had been true that the American Sugar Refin- ing Company had made centfibutions to state and iocal campaign purposes, the Senate would not have hal the right to punish any e, even if the contributions had been made for corrupt purposes. Only he states of the municipalities offended inst could punish such a thing. But.” exclaimed Mr. Jobnscn, “it Is claimed that uke te can punish those offerding against its dignity. The letter w would oe to protect its digniiy by acting at all times in a dignified way. The contribution ef funds for camp%! poses is not {Hegal, and when Mr. told the committee that there b: no bargain made in the matier the right of the ccrmittee to further interrogate nim in the matter ceasad.” The Other Side. Mr. Johnson was followed by District At- torney Davis, who explained that he nar- rowed the whole case down to one point, the standing mute by the defendant when questioned by Senator Allen, who, said Mr. Davis, represented the whole committee. “I decline to answer,” were the defend- ant’s words, and in that he was clearly, be- ycnd all doubt, guilty of contempt, not of Senator Allen, as Mr. Johnson contended, lut of the committee of which he was a art. Mr. Davis said he regretted very much that one of his profession, even in consid- eration of a princely retainer, had even suggested that when a member of the Sen- ate is elected through corrupt methods and means that body is powerless to inquire into that matter, and cannot pugish the offender or offenders. Mr. Davis was still speaking when this report closed, with the probability that the argument would continue throughout the day. —__o——_ THE POTOMAC FLATS. Attormey Taggart’s Suggested Legis- lation Forwarded to Congress. The Commiesicrers today forwarded to Congress, without recommendation, a copy of a letter from Agzsis:ant Attorney Hugh T. Taggart, respecting an amendment to the deficiency bill, and relating to the title to certain lands embraced in the Potomac flats, in pact as follows: “By the prcpesed legislation any person not heretofore made a party to the equity cause of the United States against Morris et al. (generally known as the Potomac flats case) proclaims an interest in lots in squares 63, 88 and 14 or in any of them, the title to which is shown to be undeter- mined ty the report of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia made to Con- giess under date of March 2, 1896, may, within ibree months of the passage of the act, intervene by petition in said cause and assert his claim, and, if established to the satirfaction of the court, jurisdiction and authority is given the court to award pay- ment to the claimants of the value of the land, as heretofore ascertained by the court, such payment to be made in con- formity with the provisions of the act of the Fifty-fourth Congress. “I% view of the all the circumstances I see no’ objection to the passage of the amendment with the following words, viz., | ‘to have had at the time of the taking of the same by the United States’ added after the word claim in the fourth line, and with the word ‘such’ inserted in lieu of the word ‘his’ before the word ‘claim’ in the tenth line.” ——— Base Ball Deal Hangs Fire. ST. LOUIS, May 23. proposed swap of players between the St. Louis and Phil- adelphia clubs hangs fire. While both Von der Ahe and Stallings are investigating to see that the stock of the other offers is sound of limb and free from blemish, the comtemplated trade of Uallman, Hariey and Grady for Dowd wil! probably not go throvgh, as Stallings ¢eciines to pay the price for the Browns’ capt: a ge ee Theological Department. The twenty-fourth anniversary of the theological depar-ment uf Howard Uni- versity will be held this evening at -7:30 o'clock in the Anlrew itankin Memorial Chapel. The diplomas will be conferred by President Rankin and an address to the graduating class will be delivered by Sec- retary of the Interior Bliss.’ interesting program will be presented. 'The sradua:ing class embraces Geo. 8. Adams and E. Ford of Washington, D; C.; Charles C. C., of Bar WwW. 1; John W. Neill of imans, 3 J. MM. Soanes of W.L, Nobte EB. —— - “Want” ads. fn’ ‘The Star pay. because they bring answers. % core Vhs ' Street. Accident. THE BVIDENCE PROVES CONFLICTING Trainmen Deny That the Train Was Running Rapidly. TESTIMONY SUBMITTED An inqvest to determine the cause of the death of John Addison, who, as stated in The Star, died Wednesday evening at the Emergency Hospital from the effect of injuries received at the F street sewer an hour or so before, was held today at the first precinct station by Coroner Hammett and a jury. Mr. Knott's Testimony. Mr. Charles Knott, one of the contractors for the excavation on the sewer, testified that he was standing near the engine house of the raiiway upon which the excavating machinery was. run about 5:45 p.m., that he saw a train of the Metropolitan Railway Ccmpany approaching rapidly. Several of his men were engaged at the same time in wedging up the house in which the engine was located, as is cus- tomary each evening, ard, being fearful that the board which extended over the track would strike some of the men if the train was rot stopped, he signaled to the motorman to do so. The motorman, he claimed, paid no at- ‘tention to the signal, and the train crash- ed into the plank with such force as to tkrow it around violently; Charles Sims was knocked from the place where he was sitting on the side of the engine house, and injuries inflicted upon Addison from the effccts of which he died. Carelessness Charged. Dan Wood, David Venable, Charles Dick- inson and Gus Templeton ail testified that the train was coming very rapidly and that the motorman did not make any ef- fort to stop nor was the train brought to a standstill until it was stopped by get- ting wedged against the side of the en- gine house with the plank. Lecnard J. Hitchcock, an employe of the Columbia Theater, saw the accident, and though the train was moving at a speed = net more than seven or eight miles an jour. Charles E. Curry, motorman of the train, testified that just before the affair occurred he noticed a man zitting alongside of the engine house and quite close to the track and brought his train to a full stop. The man, who it was subsequentiy ascertained was George Sims, signaled to him to come ahead. He then turned the controller one point, he said, enough to zive the train a start, and drifted slowly down the street with the brake in control until after he passed just beyond the engine house, when he heard some one call to him to ston. He did so at once, ard found that the trailer car had struck a board which swung eround and knocked Sims from the place where he had been sitting. He went and inquired whether the man was much huri and was informed that he was not, where- upon he again got on his car and a little later started for the cast end. Patrick McMullen, conductor of the train, testified that he was on the rear platform when the accident occurred, and he corro- berated Curry’s testimory as to the speed of the train. Counter Statenrents, ‘There was’ a great deal of evidence brought ouc in the course of the cross-ex- amination of the witnesses by General Manager Coleman and Attorney A. C. Bradley, representing the company, going to prove that the railway company, ever since the construction of the sewer reached the corner of 14th and F streets, has taken every precaution to guard against injury to men working on the sewer, and also that the contractors, as stated by Mr. Knott, did not undertake to protect the workmen from injury by the cars any more than té give them’ permission to lcok out for them- selves. At 2 o'clock Coroner Hammett informed the jury that there were still a number of witnesses that they could hear if they wished to, but in view of the fact that their evidence would only be cumuluiive, he would, if they thought they had heard enough, give the case to them for delibera- tion. General Manager Coleman and Mr. Brad- ley intimated their wish to produce other testimony bearing on the statements of some of the witnesses, with a view of con- tradicting them, but Dr. Hammett said as the jury had decided not to hear any more on that line he would not undertake to force them to do so. ‘The jury was out until 3 o'clock, when it returned a verdict to the effect that Addi- son came to his death as the result of be- ing struck by a piece of timber; that ft exonerated the officers of the railroad com- pany, but recommended that a flagman be stationed at the engine house to compel the cars to come to a stop until given the signai to go ahead. eo SS ADJUDGED INSANE. Wm. Matchett Has Endeavored Many Times to Commit Suicide. William H. Matchett, a printer, who gave his name as McKibbin when he was rescued from the James Creek (#@nal Wednesday, has done nothing this week ciher than at- tempt to put himself out cf this world, and today he was adjudged insane. The unfortunate man is about forty years old, and has a wife and several children. To a policeman today he said that his wife left him several days ago, and that three of his children were sent to an institution. ‘This was more trouble than he could stand, so he said, and it drove him insane. Dur- ing his rational moments he seems to real- ize the hopelessness of his condition. His father, who resides at 32) O street southwest, took charge of him Wednesday night, when he was saved from the filthy water in the canal, and had hoped that his cold water experience would do. him good, but yesterday he renewed his efforts to end his life, and his condition became. so serious this morning he was turned over pe the police by his father for safe keep- ing. During the past three days the unfortu- nate man has made six attempts to kill! himself. Three of these attempts were made by jumping in the water, two by, hanging and once by endeavoring to beat his brains out. This afternoon he was sent to St. Eligabeth’s Asylum for the in- sane. eS Mr. Barber's Anxicty. Answering the sult filed against him | eral days ago by Dorothy KE. Squires, for- + merly his typewriter and stenographer, in which Miss Squires asked that the cefend- ant be enjoined from fu any way interfer- ing with or molesting her, Chsries E. Bar- ber denies that he has ever threatened her er her family with disgrace or other in- | jury. He declares that if she has been | made unhappy or miserable it was through | her own acts and not his. Mr. Barber nies all wrongdoin; de- | saying that he ‘aves | net wish a resumptign of the eld relations ; between them, explaining that he has ‘gone back to the church, and ts determin- ed henceforth to lead a pure and Christian life, and is deeply concerned about com- Plainant’s scul's salvation.” He asks, thcrefcre, that the petition of Miss Squires be dismissed. Soe Revision .of Police Regulations. ‘The police regulations are altogether too complicated for’the average policeman to interpret. This is what the Commission- ers believe, and it is for this reason that ‘they have decided to revise them. Conferences aro being daily held between the Commissioners, the chief of police and the prosecuting attorney of the’ Police Coert, to bring about such a révision as will be sufficient and.easy of interprota- tion,. While..the. revision. ts going member of useless regulatiors fe | bréader. “It ts believed -the revision Ot MERE eo cie het PSS BE A a Ee AERC ne EER Re —— Express ‘Tran: The ‘The trial Sr reiemeque T. Timeyenis, Greek author and playwright of note, charged with ting a Revised Statute of the United Stmtes by sending obscene matter thro’ the mail, was continued today befof$*Chjef Justice Bingham in Criminal ‘Court No. 1. When court opened Attorney Ralgton resumed his argument, interrupted yesterday by the adjournment of the hearing. ~ 4#elarge number of. well-known lnguists were present today, attracted by the pe- culiar features of the case. The alleged objectional letters are written in modern Greek, and the full definition of the alleged to be indecent depends largely upon the familiarity of those who may be called upon to translate the letters. As witnesses both sides had summoned some of the best authorities on modern Greek available. In his argument, Attorney Ralston de- clared that there is no averment in the in- dictment that the contents of the letters were interded to degrade or insult the re- cipient. “ Mr. Nicolaides, an F street merchant, and Mr. H. L. Thomas, a translator to the State Department, took the stand for the prosecution, and each translated the let- ter. Witnesses, however, stated that the objectionable words had several meanings. In making the opening address to the jury for the defense, Attorney Ralston said that he expected to show that all the objectionable words claimed by the prose- cution to be obscerié had proper meanings. Nick Dazey, a native of Greece, was the first witness for the defense. His testi- mony was to the effect¢that the words ob- jected to in the letters were not indecent. pee JAMES STROSNIDER’S GAME. An Alleged Swi ier Arrested by Order of Local Detectives. A dispatch was received early last night at police headquarters from Sheriff T. J. Steele, at Moundsville, W. Va., notifying the, detectives -6f *the arrest there of a man named James Strosnider, who is want- ed here for a very clever swindle. His arrest was the result of a good piece vf work done by Detectives Horne and Weedon, after they had made an investiga- tion of the case. Another man, a com- panton of Strosnider, is also wanted, but he has not been captured. Mr. Edward McCarn of this city was victimized by Strosnider ‘to the extent of $250 and a diamond ring worth $190, while one of the women.in the “Division” gave up to him $25 tn cash and her bicycle. A third man, gaid to have been here with them, acted as stake holder. Just who this New Yorker is the police have not learned, but they were informed this morning that he is still in the city. Z Boih Strosnider and his friend are really sprinters, so the police have been informed, and in the case cf the New Yorker they are said to have actually participated in a contest on the St. Asaph’s race track. Unless. the awisomer 1s released on a writ of habeas corpus before Detective Weedon reaches Mounasville, he hopes to bring Strosnider back with him. Excluded From the Mails. A bill was introduced yesterday by Mr. Maddox of Georgia to exclude from the mails all matter emanating from eommer- clal agencies, which publish busthess rat- ings and carry on-collections. = SS Yussuf's Murderers Sentenced. Minister Terrell at Constantinople has cabled the State Department that twa of the murderers of Yussuf, who /was dis- tributing American relief funds to suffering Armenians near Bitlis, Turkey, have been tried, convicted . amd ‘sentenced ‘to. fifteen years at hard labor... 1 See arses as ERTS Be eae Womun’ ; From the Boston ‘fierald,. A-domestic wife is a blessing, but not if she 1s too domestic. : ; ” A wife is willing to be obedient,’ but she hites to be considered a slave. When a woman says no, she wants you to insist on her saying yes. A man will always respect a woman if he sees that she respects herself: eWith a woman, her soul should'always be at least as well clad as her body. If a married woman commences as a slave she will never regain her freedom. A great many women transfer to their baby the love they once had for their hus- bands. Even when a woman is in love she never forgets to see that her hat is on straight. ‘A woman should not be afraid to di Why, just think! It relieves her of the 2 8 eee Pa Say 3 : EVENING STAR, FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1897-16 PAGES. A CORONER'S JURY|MEANING oF woRDS/OPPONENTS OF FUSION posing Factions in the Demoeratie Party Wi? Be Able to Harmonize. Spectal Correspondence of The Evening Star. . GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 23, 1897. The sound money democrats and the populists, as much as they despise one another polfiically, are agreed upon one point, and that is a strong dislike for the fusion idea. The stratght populists bolted the convention last spring against any fur- ther combination with the demgcrats and silverites, and, ncminating a ticket of their own, polled about 3,500 votes, with @ very ligat vote caxt ‘a the state. The fusion populists, with hope neither of Fresent reward nor future honors, will be against any further fusions when an- other campaigr comes, but will in all probability rejoin their bolting brethren in the middle, of the road, or will hoist the banner for some new reform. The sound money denocrats rolled up a vote of over 30,000 in the spring election, and having a lead pipe cinch on the possession of the cld party name and vignette are not par- ticularly solicitous as to their own politi- cal future, although they do admit that such a thing as a state or congressional victory, with the party divided as it is now, is not prospectively bright. Have a Plethoric Campaign Fund. The sound morey democrats have a pie- thoric campaign fund, and have already begun operations for the state election next year. With headquarters in this city they will prepare and distribute “improv- ing’ literature about the state in whole- sale quantities and will send missionaries to every county in Michigan to organize and get the brethren together. The show- ing they made this spring, the fact that they have plenty cf funds for campaign Purposes, their porsession of the old party name, and @ dissatisfaction among the silver democrats with their party manage- ment, will combine to make them an im- portant political factor in the next cam- paign. Although they have been read out of the party by the silver managers and denounced as traitors and deserters, many of the practical politicians in the silver ranks will be found with them another year, because their affiliations with the silver republicans and populists have not Proved entirely agreeable. With the populists gone and 30,000 straight democrats running an independent machine, the silver democrats do not take a cheerful view of the future. They have no organization and no funds, and ever since the combine with the other silvur elcrhents was effected there has been a sad lack of harmony among them. In addition to their other woes they are tied up to a long hyphenated name, which is compara- tively new in Michigan politics, and vhich will not win many votes. They cannot ro back to the old name beceuse chat is al- ready pre-empted by the sound money wing, and even the adoption of the name of populists is out of the question, because that rame has been reclaimed vy the bult- ers from the spring convention. They will be obliged to retain the long combination name or reorganize under another, and it that event will be relegated to :ne last Place on the official ticket as a new party. No Move for Reconciliation, Negotiations for a reconciliation of the democracy have not yet been begun on either side, but it is predicted by the con- servatives in both the sound money and silver camps that before another year rvils around sprigs of olive will be passing back and fcrth between them. The silver con- servatives would be wiiling to eliminate the financial question and also the Altgeld planks in the Chicago platiorm entirely and reorganize the parity on common demo- cratic grounds and doctrin-s, with opposi- tion to high tariff as the leading issue. The gold conservatives consider the finan- cial question pretty well settl-d, or at least that a year of geod business will ¢ ffectually settle it, and that there are otaer things of greater importance to fjgut for. ‘There are radicals, cf course, in both camps, who will bitterly oppose anything iike a com- premise, and will mutually insist thdt the other shall do penance and wear the sack- cloth and ashes W®fore be:ng admitted again to full communion as Jen.ovrats. The radical sound moneyites are noi so very numerous, and can be argue? into a reasonable party compromis: by their as- sociates, especially as there is no other camp for them to go to, but w.th the radi- cal silverites it will be different. They can combine with the silver republicans, who will be political orphaus another yea and also with the populists, who will co tinue to advocate silver, and «an thus keep silver and their organization ahve for a year or two longer. If a reconciliation and reorganization be effected, the sound money democrais will insist upon controliing tae new organiza- tion to a degree sufficient +o <ictate the platforms. The conservatives are their wandering varty not inclined to punish TO COPY ALL THE PATENTS| FINANCE AND. TRADE Some of the Methods the Patent Office. Few persons have any idea of the vast- ness of the inventive genius of America as recorded in the United States patent of- fice. Not long ago a librarian wrote the commissioner that he desired to obtain a ccpy of each patent that had been issued by the United States government. Am estimate was made of the time it would take one cierk to take from the files of the office a single copy of each patent. There are rearly 600,000 of these patents, and printed copies of each are kept in bundles with the number of the patent marked on the cotton wrapper for quick reference. There are trained men, ten of them, whose only work js to take these printed descriptions of pafents from the files to furnish any one who desires to purchase them. They are quick in han- dling the bundles, yet it is estimated that it would take one of these exnerjs three years merely to pull frong the racks a —_—- cupy of -each patent filed in the office. As this class of labor is paid $500 per an- num the cost to the government of get- ting out the patents from the racks would be _ $1,500. For five cents the patent office will give any one a copy of any patent that has been isued by the office, and complete sets of these patents would be supplied at one cent for each patent. That seems to be cheap, but a complete set would cost about $6,000, while their binding and assortment for binding would make the whole expense of such a set of books not much less than $10,000. When bound they would make 1,000 volumes, each as big as Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Few patent agents aspire to have complete sets of the patents, and few of them have offices big enough 2 hold a complete set if they should get em. The patent office ts operating on anti- quated lines in a number of respects mere- ly because Congress will not allow the money collected from vatentees to be spent for their benefit, but keeps locked up in the Treasury Department a surplus from this source amounting to about $6,000,000. In no better way is the expensiveness caus- ed by this lack of facilities better shown than in the system of storing the printed copies of patents. As shown above, it would cost £1,500 in labor to collect from the files one copy of each of the 600,000 patents. If these patents were stored con- veniently, instead of being scattered in every available place from cellar to garret of the patent office building, and if they were, kept in properly constructed filing cases, instead of being wrapped in cotton, one man could do the work of five at pres- ent. As it is, ten men cannot take patents from the files rapidly enough to supply the demand of inventors and attorneys who daily make application to purchase them. Scores of times commissioners of patents have appealed to Congress for a proper building in which to do its work, but every year a surplus of $150,000 is turned into the treasury, and ro attention is paid to urgent appeals. The patent office has never -cost the government a cent, and Congress steadily turns a deaf ear to neti- tions for improvement of its facilities. ——»—______ EARTH AND THE HEALTH. Dangers That Affect the Residents of . Large Cities. From a Lette: to the Medical Record. Much attention has been given of late to domestic sanitation. The average modern house has better drainage than the mil- lionaire’s mansion of twenty years ago. In most cities plumbing must be executed under official supervision and the public health has been greatly benefited in conse- quence. Not enough thought, however, has been given to the insidious influence of the soil upon health. Dr. Bowditch of Boston and Dr. Buchannan of England, by their simul- taneous investigations, showed the import- ant relations which ground moisture bears to consumption, and I am inclined to think that the health of the community ts more affected by the sanitary state of the soil than by all other influences. This is par- ticularly true of New York, where there is so much made land, and where the soil in many places is made damp by old water- courses and polluted by the leakage from gas, water and steam pipes. Wherever the earth is turned up to lay sewers or water mains, there is an unmistakable odor of il- luminating gas, and the ground every- where is more or less contaminated. It is well known that illuminating gas will pass through frozen ground and crevices in reck for a long distance, and so will cesspool air. Neither foundation walls nor cement fioor- ing ere a barrier to damp or foul air, while their entrance is accelerated by the suction of stoves and open fireplaces. The well- known experiments of Pettenkofer and Chicago Gas Advanced Again ot Favoring Legistative Assurances. a ee GENERAL MARKET REPORTS a Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.” NEW YORK, May 2X.—The failure of London to absorb all the securities pur- chased for arbitrage account at the close of yesterday's business resulted in conces- sions in both the local and Yoreign markets this morning. A considerable proportion of the trading element having realized on speculative purchases, was inclined to operate im the short account, but all offerings were quick- ly taken, without significant reduction in prices. The comparative ease of the foreign ex- change market and the absence of import- ant gold shipments were factors making for the good of the general market. © fidence in a gradually broadening male’ is becomtng more marked, but the acto: presence of an improved outside demand is not demonstrated, except for smali amounts. The best evidence of improvement is found in the increasing inquiry from these having idle funds to invest. These invesi- ments are, however, only contemplated, and not actual The contingency which they ere invariably based is the Pparsege of a tariff bill or more definite as- surances as to its final passage, and the nature of its provisions. Reactions, such as are likely to follow dull pe.tods, are being awaited with con- siderable interest in order that the views of the more confident believers in pros- perity may be put to a practical test. in order that such views may be sustained a pronouneed improvement in the volume of busiuess must follow concessions within one or Uwo per cent of the present lcvel. ‘The granger shares are well supported on the favorable outlook for an inereased Srain tonnage. Burlington, St. Paul, and Rock Island have come into promineace during the week on this prospect. The industrial shares are in good de- mand as the result of the benefits relied upon to follow the passage of the tariff bill and the adjournment of Congress. The belief in the passage of the Chicago Gas consolidation bill by the lower house of the Illinois legislature was emphasized somewhat by the passage of the railroad bill today. The buying of the stock which followed the latter action was more confi- dent than for several days. American Sugar is given good support, as the result of an almost unanimous belief that big revenues are assured from now on. ‘The coal shares were advanced sharply during the afternoon, under trading in both accounts. The st of the generel market and the minimum pro- pcrtions of the rise in the group invited the effort. Advances in New Jersey Con- tral, Reading and Delaware and Hudson were eesily forced. cane Say FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL. The following are the opening, the highest and the lowest and the closing prices of the New York stock market today, as reported by Corson & Macartney, York stock exchange. Messrs. Moore & Schley, No. 8) Broadway. Chose. 1055 ne, American Spirits... American Spirits, "208" *gh58 Delaware & hudson — & Rio Grande, pfd. ie Northern Pacific Northern Pacific, : iI- | Professor Doremus may be referred to in marriage tle. brethren, but they want uo more free sil- 1 Prof mae heey, good - | ver or Altgeld planks in theirs. The door connection. » aie the, Gas ct af her husband, we for the return of the silverites will be tair- | The mortality charts of the health board | Fait Maul % Mevine ie * “ liy wide open, but the line willbe sternly | Show a close relation between the preva- — eee jalbe sharp leith her wisees [cca wnvonvallver and fice tot lence of certain diseases and the condition w%6 : eran of the soil. In low-lying or saturated sec- zexd Se ee Sear aan ae ea go EE tions typhoid,diphtheria, malarial fever and Oe get tired of canvas-back duck if we get it INSPECTED THE STATIONS. other Giseases find a permanent home. If | T every day. —— Manhattan Island could be thoroughly | U SSE eee Commissioner Wight Goes om a Tour | drained, consumption would undoubtediy PREPARING FOR THE WORST. of Observation. diminish. -— A py | Our overheated houses are Ike gigantic His Fear Wan That the Hotel He Was | Commissioner, Wient, secre emey tho | cupping glasses, and any impurities in the | $1 Patronizing Would Take Fire. nd tat Sa = t. | Soll will inevitably be diffused throughout Fram the Chicago Reccra. city yesterday for the Furpose of inspect- | Gwellings. In Eombay the plague has PR ALLS « ‘ tice ing them. No notice was given of the pro- | flourished most in houses with floors satu- Washington Stock Exchange. coeierstal mater Dla 70 h of the Commissioner when he left tne | ieee aera ae en abltations tice | meee, ee” pund ‘seo commercial 5: x + ever have | building. Five stations were visited. Par- | ftir oce ts, should not have wet feet. | Did. 30-year fund Gs, gold, 122 bid. Water stock —what you call {t?—premonitions? Well, | s.ylar attention was paid to che cells, and | In testing a suburban residence with the ee ee ee coma. SaD Coins nnctlon hotel sae thes onnt | these the Commissioner found for the most smoke test recently, 1 discovered that cess- at Z % 0 put up at a junction el, ani ey sen’ In dis- | pool was ing for ic co att .—Metropolitan Railread part in an insanitary condition. i politan, Railread Se, one of those rooms With a slanted ceiling. repcrter for The Star, Mr. Wight sald such | ent ‘house the emanations from surface itroad Gs, 85 bid. Columbia set 4 4 You knew the kind. You pay for the room, | cells were a disgrace to the city, and Con-| Water in the cellar, heated by an adjacent | Washington Gax Company Ss, series 2. 112% bie andthe roof occupies it. gress should appropriate sufficient money | Heller, rose through the casing around 1 | (3 0 Lee ae Ss, 000 bad “There was one window. J looked out of | t0 bring about a better condition sg the | Waste pipe into a bed room on the tenth | American Security amd Trust os, F- and A 101 the window, and ‘it seemed to be at least | {#!"8 for the unfortunates. Many of the | foor, and caused melaria among the In-| bid. American Security and Trust Se. A and 0. i 2 stations were dark and damp, and the ac-| mates. When the opening was plastered | 1U1 bid. Washington Market Company = = sixty feet down ‘to the ground. ‘It was a | commodations for the oificers insufficient. | tp. the attacks ceased. Bid. | eskingen Mattes Compeay np. O. 5° ST wooden building, and an old ore, under-| He was particularly opposed to settins |“Nyany ‘tke cases indicate that more at- | ashlagton Market Compans et stand? While T wag looking out of the | aside rooms in the station houses for the | tention should be given to the effects of | “National ak Stocks. Bank of Washington, 205 window @ freight train went by, and the | tramps. It took away much needed room | such conditions on health. bid. Bank of the Republic, 235 bid. M--tropoittan, chsine oe out . pees ee and should not be Soa enenoes al —— a eee. 20 —— Central, wo Wee = and “Well,” I says to myself, ‘I can see my | use his best efforts, he said, to ve n= anics”, Second, Linens’, finish right now: There'll ‘be forty trains | gress appropriate sufficient funds to bet-| A systematic account of all living ani- | 125 uid. 140 asked. Capital, 12) bid. 132 aaked, z h mais, the first attempted since Linnaeus’ | West End, 105 bid, 108 % lors’, golng ay ap hesitate! Sle and | ter the existing conditions. “Systema Nature.” has been undertaken | 100 asked. Lincoln, 163 bid, 108 asked. vs a 0 1 sho! otel going to —_ . 7 1 ‘Deposit aud ‘Trost Companies. catch: fire.” I looked out again. There Neat Comptimenta by Webster. by the German Zoological Society. It 18] ,OoC na arust, 114 bid, 120 asked. Washington wasn’t any fire escape, and they didn’t a = estimated that 356,000 species of living ‘and ‘Trust, 119 bid, 125 asked. American Se- have any rope in the room. You see, in a | From the Youth’s Companion. Eas —— ee be curity and ‘Trust, 142 bid. Washington Safe De- good many places like that they: have a big | While it is well kndwn that Dantel Web- | ii “which te to be edited. by Prof, F. Ei | ’haitroad Siocks.—Capltal Traction, 58, bid. 54y, coil oF Fene in es seener, and sign that | ster, im speaking of General Taylor’s can- | schul: . will ist of at least 120 vol- | asked. ean, 112 wid. Ostnestia. bid. and. jump’ A man’ zeads that oles aba | didacy for the office of President. pro- | umes of 1,000 pages each. ee ee ae then he can’t sleepsalt night, > | nourced it “a nomination not fit to be} the governments in the following cities “Well, I Jooked it of the winiiow again, | made,” he never failed to do justice to the | have enacted laws stipulating that all city anda. switch /n#if® pulled past and shot | gercral's military abilities and eminent | printing must bear the union label: Zanes- | Po, out a Jot of as big as your fist. | service in the ficld. Se Se ae eae and Tomei ned tees pape ee ibe. Bed | On one occasion he paid the old soldier a | Ti: Gouncll Bluffs, Towa: Erie, Pa; Rock: | Russ, my pencil and ‘fluted that I could tear | delicate and well-deserved compliment. | fora, Ill.; Louisville, Ky.; Muscatine, Towa; | colu. 8%, bid. each sheet into ‘follr strips, and, allowing | General Taylor was complaining of the | Poughkeepsie, N. Y. At Nashville, Tenn., | 47" i%o asked. Columbia Tite, 5% bid. for the knots, ‘h gheet would make about | crowds of people who daily. besieged him | and Sa. ae yarn are also being | "'Teephone —I = 40 bid, 50 asked. twenty-four {apk:0§ Aire-escape, although, | soon after his accession to the presidency. made, Wie i is HE i! Pee tecpbepnone, Sie bed, ON sated. American course, there- 301 5 Ss x ——- tcan Grapbopbone. where I would have to tle It to the bed. ee ee tk cate carmen Cantiare. “SS wkd. "40 naked Japon ag tgered that I could push the bed over to | retirement, but still I do not wish to turn ‘stocks. five fect. 1 is} oy aves. al forty- “You never did upon your enemies, gen- All contig. inane Fees Ixed—some water | eral,” Mr. Webster instantly replied. = ready in j80 as'to dampen the | 4 compliment of another sort, and much nots and LAkbmi hard. -Of course, I| more surprising, considering Its source, Hes some distance to fall after I got to the end o! » but that was all right. ¥ou ieibee Soon asl fad my rope fixed I Was *toing to drop’ the mat- tress, so as té I sométhing to fall on. “I took my ‘ai » Watch, money and keys. and ted <them’in a handkerchief, which I very carefully: placed on the win- dow-sill, co that-it-would not be overlooked in. the hurry, of ing . ‘There didn’t seem 2 he anyf! ‘ i stricken . off<the .books, and-.others — badly Z Was one given by Mr. Webster, though the object ‘of it was not present to heir. Son - Gaeck ‘Tevtiy in a| Michigan Sound Money Demoomis and | Would Tabs a Trnined Man Three zo ‘ : Little Immediate Prospect Theat Op- The Taventive Gentus of the Country— | one was epca‘ting of the remarkab:y beati- ful eyes of a haudsome wo.san, and wie young enthusiast said, “They remind me, with their long, dark eyelashes, of arti- Tery In ambnacade.” “They should rather be compared to heat i ning,” said another. e “Not so,” put in Mr. Webster, with a per- fectly grave face, “for you must be aware, my dear sir, that heat lightning never strikes!” a