Evening Star Newspaper, November 22, 1897, Page 1

& THE EVENING STAR. Geese PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 3101 Fennsylvania Avenue, Cor. 11th 8t., by T i Com Te BE Racrrwane rere Few York Ofice, 49 Fotter Building, ‘The Evening Star ts served to subscribers in the eity by carriers. on their own account, at 10 ecnts per week, or ai cents per month. Copies at the counter 2 cuts each. By wail—anywhere tn the United States or Cenada—postage prepaid—50 ecnts Per nionth, Satrrday Quintuple Sheet Star, $1 per year, with foreizn postage added. $3.00. ‘Entered at the Post Office at Washington, D. C.. @s_secend-class mafl matter.) © All mail subscriptions raust be pald in advance. Rates of advertising made known on application Che Lveni a Star. No. 13,955. WASHINGTON, D. CG, MONDAY, NO VEMBER 22, 1897-FOURTEEN PAGES. TWO CENTS. SPAIN WANTS PEACE General Blanco Holds Out Overtures to Cuban Insurgents. CABALLERO MADE A GO-BETWEEN The Offer Believed to Have Been Promptly Rejected. DECISIVE BATTLE IMMINENT HAVANA, via Key West, Fla., Novem- ber 22—General Pando, as already cabled to the Associated Press, started by train from this city on Saturday last in order, according to the official announcement, to take charge of the campaign against the insurgents. He was accompanied by his full staff and was escorted by a company of artillery. But it is stated on very good authority that General Pando has been commissioned by Marshal Blanco, the cap- tain general, to enter into communication with the insurgent leaders, with the view of arranging for peace. This statement is based on an accurate knowledge of all the facts in the case. General Pando did not leave this city until he had taken steps calculated to further the object w..ch Marshal Blanco has in view. General Pando, after a consultation with the captain general, first brought about the release from confinement of Damian Caballero, who has been impris- oned on the Isle of Pines for some time past, for, it is alleged, acting as a spy for the insurgents and bringing about a disas- ter for the Spanish troops at Cacao, prov- ince of Santiago de Cuba. Agent for General Pando. General Pando furnished Caballero, who is the godfather of Rabi, looked upon as being the backbone of the insurgent move- ment in the province of Santiago de Cuba, with a considerable sum of money and caused him to be landed at Manzanillo, province of Santiago de Cuba, where a good horse was placed at his disposal. General Pando’s peace emissary was also furnished with official documents empower- ing him to act in behalf of the Spanish commander, and from Manzanillo, Cabal- lero made his way secretly to the Jiguani hills, where General Rabi has his headquar- ters. General Pando instructed Caballero to offer General Rabi a high rank in the Spanish army and a large sum of money to be distributed among the other insur- gent leaders of that part of Cuba, and in addition a large amount of money for him- self, in the event of his succeeding in ar- nging terms for peace. Besides this, “aballero was instructed to inform the in- surgent leaders that the Spanish authori- ties undertook to honestly establish the new autonomist regime if the leaders of the insurgents would accept the proposi- tions made them. Caballero Mission Unsuccessfal. Although Caballero has not returned from Santiago de Cuba, confidential advices which have reached the Spanish officials her2 seem to indicate that Caballero has so far been unsuccessful. It is added that previous to leaving Manzanillo for the interior of Santiago de Cuba the agent of Gen. Pando obtained a letter of introduc- tion from a well-known merchant, Senor Solis of Manzanillo, to Gen. Du Vaion, the French leader of the insurgents, with the view of inducing the latter, as well as Rabi, to enter into negotiations with the Spanish authorities looking to a peace settlement and the acceptance of the autonomist form of government propos€d by Spain for Cuba. Caballero, in due course of time, arrived safely at the camp of Gen. Rabi, where the asurgent leader had been supporting Ca- alero’s family while he was in prison. ut the arguments of Gen. Pando’s agent have not, apparently, had the effect hoped ¥ the Spanish authorities, for it is ood Gen. Rabi has replied that he believes a successful ending of the war in favor of the insurgents is approaching: that the Cubans, with the aid of the United States, will gain their independence, and that, therefore, he prefers to continue fig! ing the Spaniards until the final victory is There seems to be no intimation as to the result of Caballero’s negotiations with Gen. Du Valon, although it may be judged, from the attitude assumed by Gen. Rabi, that the peace negotiations are likely to fall flat in Santiago de Cuba. Other Irons in the Fire. Gen. Pando, in the meanwhile, acting after consultation with Marshal Blanco, has put other irons in the fire, in the hope of prevailing upon the insurgents to come to terms. He has been and still is in ne- gotiation with three leaders of the Cuban revolution, and has been endeavoring to induce them to go to different insurgent camps, there to use their intluence to bring about peace, on the promise of Cuba being accorded a really autonomous form of gov- ernment. These three men were also of- fered money for themselves and were to ha been furnished with large sums of money to distribute among their friends. But it is understood they have hitherto declined to become agents of Gen. Pando, alleging as their excuses that they have no influence with the insurgent leaders of the present ¢4y and that they would be risking their lives if they ventured into the in- surgent camps. In some quarters it is believed that this reluctance to accept the overtures of Gen. Pando is due to the fact that the insur- gents are anticipating some strong step in their favor when the United States Con- gress meets. It is generally admitted that Gen. Pando is somewhat mortified at the non-success of his plans up to the present, and has informed the three ex-insurgent leaders referred to that he doubts their sincerity, and he indirectly gave them to urderstand that he was of the opinion that they were opposed to the sovereignty of Spain over Cuba, and had no desire to as- sist the Spanish authorities In the efforts the latter were making to bring about a peaceful settlement of the troubles. Claimed They Were Sincere. The Cubans referred to protested that they were sincere and repeated the excuses they had alrady made for their non-com- pliance with the requests of the Spanish general. The latter, although somewhat disappointed. will, it is understood, con- tinue his efforts to come to an understand- ing with the insurgents, and the military authorities believe the best way to do this is to inflict upon the enemy a signal defeat, which Gen. Blanco hopes to accomplish. On the other hand, it is believed the in+ surgents have similar plans, though from an opposite direction and with a totally afferent object in view. If current reports among the friends of the insurgents are to be believed, the revolutionary leaders hope to strike @ decisive blow at Spain before Congress meets as an encouragement to thetr friends in the United States who are urging a recognition upon the part of the United States government of the belliger- ency of the insurgents of Cuba. Congesto is Unpo; Dr. Jose Corgosto, formerly Spanish con- sul at Philadelphia, and now secretary gen- eral of Cuba, is continuing to lose ground in public favor as a result of some extra- ordinary statements which he has made to the Spaniards here. Senor Sontos Guz- man considers himself and his family much insulted by certain remarks of Dr. Con- gosto, and it is sald that the new secretary general has not heard the last of the affair. Congosto is also allezed to be displaying considerable ignorance of administrative af- fairs, and to have, in consequence, failed to fill many of the duties of his office.’ Finally, the utterances of Dr. Congosto, if correctly reported, are likely soon to be sharply resented in Madrid. He is alleged to have remarked that Spain had, until now, followed a policy of spoliation in Cuba, and that the insurgents were justified in acting as they have done. While this may be perfectly true, such a remark from a prominent Spanish official is not likely to pass without notice at the Spanish capital, especially as, it fs added, the employes of the secretary genefal’s of- fice protested against the remark and have taken further action in the matter. Blanco’s Significant Remark. Regarding political utterances, a state- ment made by Marshal Blanco shortly after his arrival here is being much commented upon. It seems that when the superior of @ religious order, residing at Guanabacoa, near this city, called upon the new captain general in order to welcome him to Cuba, Marshal Blanco, during the course of the ecnversation which followed said: . “Only Divine Providence is able to save. Cuba.” Whereupon the distinguished priest re- torted: “If we must confide only in Divine Provi- dence, and have no other medns to con- quer the insurgents, then we are lost.” The sympathizers with the insurgents have been making considerable capital out of this incident, claiming that the remark of the captain general indicates that he has no faith in the success of his mission. Further proof of this state of mind upon the part of Marshal Blanco appears to be furnished in a statement which is attrib- uted to him when he replied to the wel- come of tae Merchants’ Association. Upon that occasion the captain general is said to have asserted that Spain could keep up the fighting until after April next, and if by that time the Spaniards were unable to restore peace at any price, he (Marshal Blanco) would return to Spain. Incidentally this sentiment is credited to several other generals who have arrived here recently from Spain. Cane Fields Put to the Torch. The answer of the insurgents to Marshat Blanco’s decree favoring the resumption of grinding sugar cane has been the burn- ing of immense care fields in the sugar districts of this province in the neighbor- hood of San Felipe. A day or so ago the sky in that direction was red with the re- flection of the flames. Very shortly after the previous dispatch regarding the peace negotiations of Gen Pando was closed it became known that two of the prominent ex-insurgent leaders, referred to as having been in communica- tion with the Spanish commander, had been induced to start for Manzanillo, in another effort to induce the insurgent leaders of Santiago de Cuba to arrange for peace on the basis of autonomy being granted to Cuba. TRIES TO DROWN HIMSELF John Howard Leaps From the Bridge Into Anacostia River. John Howard, forty-three years old, son of a Mrs. Howard who has a meat stand in the Eastern market, attempted to com- mit suicide early this morning py jumping in the river from the Navy Yard bridge. He was rescued by H. D. Bailey and Geo. French, who have boat houses near the bridge. x It is thought that ill health had affected the man’s mind to the extent that he hardly realized what he was doing. Howard was seen to start across the bridge from this side of the river about o'clock. There was a number of per- sons oa the bridge at the time, some going to Anacostia and others coming toward the city. When Howard reached the chan- nel he stopped and looked in the water, as if he had dropped something overboard. After standing there for about a minute ke put his foot on the rail and leaped over. The splash was heard by persons who were on the shore, and several pedes- trians cried “Man overboard.” Their calls Lrought the two boatmen, George French and H. D. Bailey, to his aid. When they reached the bridge the man was under water, but in an instant he came to the surface and went floating down the stream without making a struggle. The men in the boat scon overtook him and succeeded in getting him in the boat, after consider- able trouble. Not a word was said by Howard, who was almost completely exhausted and ap- parently almost unconscious. They soon had him ashore, and then he pointed to- ward Anacostia, as his home, at the same time saying it was northeast.. ‘The boatmen knew he had come from the Washington side of the river, and they led him off up 11th street bareheaded, his hat having floated away. He made a slight struggle as though he wanted to break away and make another attempt to jump overboard. A policeman, who they met, took charge of him and sent him to his home, No. $25 B street northeast, in the patrol wagon. As already stated, the unfortunate man has been {ll for some months. Recently he has been despondent and has had out little to say to other members of the family. He left home early this morning to take a walk, and his relatives were very much surprised to learn of his attempt upon his own life. — —— MAY GO TO THE COURTS. The Dispute Over Section Twenty- two of the Tariff Act. It is probable that the questions . in- volved in discriminating section 22 of the new tariff act will be brought to the courts for final determination. Information has reached the Treasury Department that dur- ing the pendency of the questions before the Attorney General the collectors at a rember of ports assessed the 10 per cent discriminating Cuty on transit goods from Carada under consular seal, as well as upon goods produced in Canada. One of these invoices, it is understood, wus for a considerable quaatity of china, which ar- rived at Sault Ste Marie, Mich., from Dres- den, under consular sea® An appeal in this case, it is said, already has been taken to the board of general appraisers at New York. ‘This board, under the law, is not bound by the opinions of the Attorney General or those of the Secretary of the Treasury, the courts alone having authcrity to re- view its findings. In case of a decision by the beard ass€ssing the discriminating duty it is almost certain that the importers will take an appeal, but should they fail to do so it is not unlikely that the govern- ment would take such action. The ques- tion, therefore, whether the case will go to the courts depends upon the decision of the board of general appraisers. ———_+o-____—_. TO RELIEVE THE WHALERS. The Catter Bear to Sail This Week for the North. The revenue cutter Bear ts expected to sail for the arctic regions to attempt relief for the ice-imprisoned whalers about the middle of this week. Capt. Tuttle is push- ing the arrangements. The orders sent to him some time ago have not been changed. Lieut. D. H. Jarvis, the executive officer of been designated to command the Bear, has to the overland expedition. This expedition will start from a point yet to be selected. Lieut. Jarvis has had extended experience in the arctic. —-e+____ Government Receipts. Government receipts—From internal reve- today, $873,108; $300, mis- nue, cane. customs, 720; MARTIN CONFESSES|PLAN To SEIZE LaurADA) RURAL MAIL SERVICE| #2 Sie & 82 P= Former Treasurer of Columbian Uni- versity Guilty of Embezzlement. REMANDED BY COURT FOR SENTENCE Amount of the Defalcation Shown to Be $13,950. APPEAL MADE FOR MERCY Robert H. Martin, for a number of years treasurer of the Columbian University, today pleaded guilty in Criminal Court No: 1 of the embezzlement of $13,950 of the funds of the institution during 1804, 1895 and 1896, and was remanded to jail by Chief Justice Bingham to avait sentence, which will be imposed next Saturday. The penalty for embezzlement is a fine not ex- ceeding $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both fine and im- prisonment, and as the indictment on which the unfortunate man pleaded guilty con- tains five counts, each referring to a separ- ate offense, sentence could, should the court so deem advisable, be imposed on each count. Will Strive for Leniency. Sentence is not likely, however, to be im- posed on more than one of the five counts, and a strong effort will be made by the friends of the self-convicted man, through his attorneys, Messrs. Andrew A. Lips- comb and Charles H. Turner, to induce Chief Justice Bingham to make the sen- tence one of imprisonment in jail. After many postponements, the defend- ant’s trial was set down by District Attor- ney Davis before Chief Justice Bingham today, and when it was called Mr. Davis stated to the court that the man’s counsel desired to avoid a trial. Mr. Lipscomb then explained to the court that at the re- quest of the defendant he asked that the plea of not guilty be allowed to be with- drawn, that the defendant might enter a plea of guilty, and thereby make the fullest reparation possible for the offense he no longer denied. Chief Justice Bingham granted the de- sired leave, and then the defendant, clad in a neat business suit of gray, arose and replied to the formal inquiry of Clerk Gat- ley that he pleaded guilty. Motion for Relense on Bond. Mr. Lipscomb next moved that his client be permitted to remain at large on his former bond of $5,000 for about ten’ days, when he would appear for sentence. Mr. Lipscomb explained that he made the mo- tion that the prisoner might meantime as- sist his wife and three little children in moving to Baltimore, where charitable peo- ple have secured a little house for them. The defendant, said Mr. Lipscomb, would be on hand when wanted in court, and he pointed out that convicted persons have been released on bail pending an appeal. To support his motion Mr. Lipscomb in- troduced to the court a gentleman who sat beside the defendant as the Rey. H. M. Wharton, pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church of Baltimore and editor of the Baptist Evangel. The reverend gentleman explained that he had interested himself in the prisoner because he appeared to be without friends, and because he believed it to be his duty as a Christian to do what he could for him and his little family, who are now de- pendent on the charity of others. He s' ed that a house in Baltimore has been rent- ed for them and partly stocked with fuel and other necessaries. But the wife and children sadly need the a: ce of the defendant arranging their little home, and Mr. Wharton added his plea for the man’s release until the family could be safely housed. District Attorney Objects. “I am here,- your honor,” said District Attorney Davis, in reply to the motion, “discharging the most disagreeable duty I have had to perform since I assumed the cflice I hold, for I was the associate of this man in the Columbian University, and in relation to this case I have been buf- feted between my sympathy for him and his family and my officlal duty. I.can only Say, your honor, that if the motion granted it will be without my consent.” Chief Justice Bingham, in denying the motion, saig that it was an unusual one and one which he doubted his right to grant, especially when only the conveni- erce of the defendant’s family had been offered in support of it. The government declining to take any responsibility in the rratter, the court would not assume it and the motion would have to be denied. With Bowed Head. During all this time Martin sat beside his counsel with bowed head, his face flushed to an unusual degree. But he seemed to have nerved himself up to meet the or- deal, and, after Mr. Lipscomb had success- fully moved that sentence be deferred un- til next Saturday, he walked, in the cus- tody of Deputy Marshal Cook, to the mar- shal's cflice. There he remained in con- versation with his attorneys and Mr. Wharton for some time, after which he was sent to jail in a private conveyance. is Oo WA'TER FAMINE AT FT. SCOTT. Kansan Town in Serious Plight Ow- ing to a Drouth. FORT SCOTT, Kan., November 22.—Save for one or two artesian wells, this city is without water. The continued efforts of twenty men, who for two days and nights have been dynamiting the Marmaton river bed for water to supply the city, have failed, and last night the water company’s pump house began drawing wind, and the entire city supply was shut off. This con- dition is unprecedented, and, unless the men, who are still at work with dynamite and powder, can bring water down from four miles above in a short time, many mills and factories will be forced to shut lown. The rainfall for the past month or two has been too light to afford relief. Owners of the artesian wells are selling their water, and at the shut down of the pumping works last night raised the price. —— WEYLER A MENACE TO SPAIN. Deposed General Has Developed Into a Popular Hero. LONDON, November 22.—The Standard today warns the Spanish government that @ personage capable of exacting homage from such diverse elements as the Carlists, advanced republicans, conservatives and workers’ associations, as did General Wey- ler at Corunna is capable of. developing into a popular hero who may upset the government, and even the dynasty, unless eare is taken. BARCELONA, November 22.—It fs cur- Spanish Anthorities Advised of a Plot of Cuban-Sympathizers, Wilmington, Del., Full of Pinkerton > Detectives brated Filtbustering Steamer. Special Dispntch to The Evening Star. WILMINGTON, Del., November 22.—This city is filled with Pinkerton detectives, who have come here to shadow an- alleged gigantic filibustering expedition, which is being formed here. The first hint the Span- ish.authorities received that any such move was being made in this city was given them last Wednesday, when they sent two skilled men to this city to watch develop- ments. These men shadowed the resorts of loc21 Cubans for three days, and on Satur- day notified United States Marshal Julian Cannon Short of their discoveries and ap- Prehensions. The information they gave the marshal Pointed to a plot to seize the famous fili- buster steamer Laurada, which has been lying here since March, as a subject of liti- gation. Acting on the §nformation of the detectives, the marshal notified the Harlan & Hollingsworth Company, which, in turn, selected twelve of its employes, and had them sworn in as deputy marshals, and placed them upon the boat to guard it. Each man was armed with a revolver and shotgun. The twelve deputies did not sleep one winkall night. Six jof them patrolled the deck of the old steamer, guns in hand, ready to shoot the first intruder. The other six wandered about the ship yard, peering inte every corner in the hope of giseowering the persons implicated in the plot. Shortly after midnight several men hovy- ered about the western| end of the ship yard, but when they discovered the yard was guarded they ran. At 8 o'clock this morning a new corps of Pinkertons arrived in the city. According to the information received by the federal authorities here this morning, the plot to steal the Laurada and run her out to sea was concocted in New York by Cubans and Cuban sympathizers. A well-drilled crew has been selected by those in the plot and the federal authorities fear that another attempt will be made to steal the vessel and start another big military expedition for Cuba aboard her. METHODIST CHURCH €ONFERENCE. Large Attendance at the Meeting Just Opened at Pittsburg. PITTSBURG, Pa., November —The national congress of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, which began in Christ M. E. Church yesterday, was eontinwed today. Between 300 and 400 prominent representa- tives of the church from all parts of the country were in attendattte. Tke gather- ing is the first of the kind ever held by the M. B. Church, and is described im the call as a conference of the youngermen of the church on the relation of Metkodism to current social and intellectual eonditions. Bishop Vincent of Chautauqua presided. After devotional exercises John W. Thomas, Ph.D., of Allegheny’ College, Meadville, Pa., read # paper on “The Right reepepis ot Emoticn and Reason in Re- igion. "The speaker said that in the religion of today the tendency of the intellectual to crowd out the emotional was to be de- plored. Tie flippant remarks and higher eriticisins found in the magazines of the present upon religion were declared to be most harmful. Addresses were also made on “The Re- vival, Its Powers and Perils,” by Rev. Dr. Raymond of Middleton, Conn.; D. A. » Ph.D., of Evanston, IL, and Rev. H. L. Jacobs of Tyrone, Pa. AE Le ATTORNEY MARTIN'S SUICIDE. Took Morphine While in Jail Charged With Embezzlement. STILLWATER, Okla., November Attorney Van Martin, a former prominent lawyer and politician, committed suicide in 1 here while awaiting trial for embez- zlement and forgéry. Several months ago Martin was arrested for embezzling trust funds and forging the signatures of county officials to a lot of blank county warrants, which he sold in large quantities to Chi- cago and Jowa bankers. He was finally let out on bail, but re- arrested yesterday charged with tamper- ing with the jury list from which twelve men to try him were to be selected. Soon after being placed in jail he took a big dose of morphine and was past relief when his condition became known. ———__ TO SAVE DURRANT’S NECK. 20 San Francisco Theosophists Circulate Petition in His Behalf. SAN FRANCISCO, November 22.—The theosophists of San Francisco are taking a very active interest in the fate of Mur- derer Durrant. It is a tenet of their faith that capital punishment is wrong and they are getting up a petition praying Governor Budd to stay the execution and to com- mute his sentence to life imprisonment. The petition was prepared, by Dr. Jerome A. Anderson, president of the San Fran- cisco Theosophical Society, and it has al- ready received a number of signatures. —— TROUBLE AT MICHIGAN MINE. Strtkers Threaten to Attack Men Hired to Supplant Them. HOUGHTON, Mich., November 22.—An outbreak seems imminent at the Atlantic mine. The company has seventy-five Ital- ians from the Franklin mine on the ground ready to take the places of the striking Fins, and the latter announce that blood- shed will ensue at the first-attempt to set the Italians to work. Thereiare now nearly 200 Fins on strike, all of them'betng strong and determined men. The Atlantic man- agement will not give the strikers places again on any terms, and wil} attempt to put the Italians at work on ae might shift this evening. { —__—_o___- RUSSIA’S BLUFF WENT THROUGH. Turkey Formally Anneunces Post- ponement of Her Neva} Blans. CONSTANTINOPLE, November 22—The Turkish government announces :the post- ponement until spring of ite:maval reorgan- ization plans. f This is undoubtedly, due’ to fhe repre- sentations of Russia to theveffect that ar- rears of the Turkish-Russian war indem- nity are still due, and that if Turkey per- sists in spending large sums of money upon the reconstruction of her navy Russia will insist upon the payment of these arrears. ‘Therefore the announcement just made by the porte is equivalent to an indefinite shelving of th tio! rebuild The First Assistant Postmaster Gen- eral Answers Criticisms, Watching the Cele- WHERE THE GOVERNMENT SAVES Discontinuance of Fourth-Class Offices Made. Possible. OPPORTUNITY FOR REFORM “Yes, I have seen a number of adverse criticisms—a very few of them somewhat captious criticisms—of the rural free de- livery service,” said Mr. Perry S. Heath, first assistant postmaster general, to a Star reporter. “I am glad to note them. It is a healthy sign. The object of establishing the experimental service was to call public attention to its difficulties and lay a basis for a reasonably accurate estimate of its cost and usefulness. This is what Congress wanted and this is what the department has been trying to do. All public comment helps. If it is unjust or unreasonable it will re Unless rural free delivery is a goed thing and a useful thing, far beyond the expense it involves, it ought not to be continued. If it is good and useful it should be extended and made permanent. Not everywhere nor all at once, but, as suggested in my report, in some gradual and gradated form, the character of which might be regulated from the results alrea arrived at from the experimental “Perhaps you have not noticed tinued Mr. Heath, “how much the report of the first assistant postmaster general goes into detail on this subject. Every state where the experiment has been tried is treated separately, and the results are dispassionately stated, according to the re- ports received from experienced post offive inspectors, many of whom were sent out under an administration which was openly and avowedly hostile to the experiment. I think there has never before been such a complete Baalam and Barak business in the history of the Post Oflice Department. There were then forty-four experimental districts, in nearly thirty different state: We have increased the number to fifty di tricts since. To each one categorical ques- tions were sent: ‘What have been the re- sults?’ From every one came back the an-- swer, “Favorable.” Abolishing Fourth-Class Offices. “You can take up any district, almost at random. There is Lancaster county, Pa., for instance, where there are nearly one hundred and fifty fourth-class post citices, every one of which could be abolished if rural free delivery were put into effect throughout the entire county. And the in- dications are, judging from the results cb- tained in the two experimental routes es- tablished in that county, that in a year or two the increase of postal business would pay for the increased facilities Elba, Genesee county, N. Y., is another example. One of our most intelligent post office in- spectors made a report about thai section of the country, in which he sai: “In making the test of the free-delivery service I have selected a town in which the conditions are such as are ordinarily to be found in the a: munity of New York It has m my aim to determine whether there a de- mand for free delivery by rur: inhab- itants, whether rural free de ‘y was feasible, and what would be the proba! expense in the state if it were establish “It is my opinion that, with the possivie exception of portions of a few counties where the topographical conditions, coupled with the sparsity of population, are such as not to warrant the expense necessarily incidental to its establishment, rural free delivery is entirely f ble in this state. ““Genesee county embraces thirteen towns and contains thirty-nine post offices. Bigh- teen of these offices might be discontinued without the slightest detriment to the Ty ice if free rural delivery were estab d. The total cancellations of these offices (which form tle basis of compensation) in 18% amounted to $2210. I am_ satisfied, from a close study of this matter, that 73 per cent, or $1,657, of these cancellations would be d to the government. “With the doing away of these eighteen offices seven star routes in this county might also be dispensed with, at an annual saving of $963, making a total net saving of $2,620. “If the same plan were applied to the 850 rural districts in the state where rural free delivery service is deemed practicable, tue net results would be: Gross estimated cost of free rural delivery for 850 towns, $765. 000; less saving in cancellations, $108,375 less saving in star routes, $62,993.50; total saved, $171,368.50; leaving the estimated cost of rural free delivery for the entire state $593,631.50." “His estimate does not take into ac- count the inevitable growth of postal re- ceipts which has followed increased postal facilities wherever they have been provid- ed. This is not confined to the rural free delivery service. We put letter boxes on all the street cars of Des Moines, Iowa, and the amount of mail handled by the cffice nearly doubled. We started an ex- perimental postal marine service on the Detroit river for the benefit of passengers and sailors on the lake steamboats, with the result that nearly 200,000 pieces of mail matter were handled in this way during last season at a cost of less than $800 a month. “Postmaster General Wanamaker gave free delivery a test in some forty or fifty villages, and demonstrated that the in- creased business not only paid the extra cost, but yielded a small profit. Just at this point, however, another administra- tion came in and abruptly shut off the sup- plies and stopped the experiment.” “But they say this is paternalism,” said the reporter. “Paternalism,” repeated Mr. Heath, with an amused smile, “why, the whole postal system is paternalism. For reasons of public policy our government followed the example of all the nations of Europe and took the postal system under its own charge. Instead of leaving it to corporate |or private enterprise, as we do our tele- graph and railroad and express service, it said: ‘We will attend to this ourselves, and moreover we will not allow any one to in- terfere with us. We will make it a govern- ment monopoly and provide pains and pen- alties for anybody that infringes on our rights.’ ” Serving the Public. “What. do you suppose, asked .Mr. Heath, “the first letters cost that we trans- mitted from Juneau, Alaska, to Circle City? Just one dollar a letter, and we got an average of, say, three cents each for Postage on them. Wasn’t that paternal- ism? But public interests. were served, and the development of the country was advanced by the opening up of postal com- munication to this the most distant point of our great domain. “Has it ever occurred to you,” he con- tinued, “to figure out the immense dis- tances the Post Office Department covers for the nominal price of two cents an ounce of letter postage? You are in West, Florida, let us say, and heard that a relative or friend 368 rom San Francisco to Seattle, miles. “From Seattle to Juncau, Alaska, 913 miles. “From Juneau to Circle City, 968 miles. “Total, 6,829 miles for two cents. “You can find in this a compiete answer to the objection that in some of the rural free delivery @istricts it costs more to de- liver a leiter Than the postage amounts to. You must strike an average. The crudities and inequatities of the rural free delivery system are not rearly as great as those which were encountered when free di livery was started in the big cities in 1863. The cost of the postal service, over and above iis receipts, is defrayed by taxation borne by the whole people. The benefits should be equalized as far as possible. Chance for Reform. “If Congress would relieve the depart- ment of the obligation of carrying as sec- ond-class mail matter 180,000 tons a year of advertising stuff, chiefly for the benefit of private enterprises, at a loss of seven cents a pound (and there it seems to me is pater- nalism run mad), we could give free, de- liv to at least 50 per cent more penple than now have it, without incurring any deficit. The people want it. Wherever it has been tried the advantages are found so great that the people within the delivery, with no exception, have expressed a will- ingness to defray the cost themselves rath- er than lose it. In Mis: ‘ippi and Massa- chusetts, and other states, whole communi- ties have established little free deliveries 258, of their own, and pay the carriers them- selves “My belief is that rural free delivery has that come to stay, and I have strong hope Congress will, at its next sion, au’ quite a considerable extension of the s tem.” Ss RAILROAD T) KLONDIKE. Chilkoot Pass to Be Trave Aerial Tramway. SAN FRANCISCO, November Henry L. Martens of New York, who represents Tacoma and New York capitalists interest- ed in building a railroad from Dyea over the Chilkoot Pass to Crater Lake, is here. He says the first eight or nine miles of road out from Dyea would be the usual railroad gauge in construction. This will end at the mouth of the Dyea canon. Sixty men are now engaged on this work at $3 a day. “The second division of our railroad,” he said, “will be an aerial tramway from the mouth of Dyea canon over the Chilkoot Pass. This tramway is now being built at the east. It will be shipped by way of Seattle, and will be placed in proper con- dition on its arrival at the Dyea canon early in January next. The capacity of the rcad wiil be 250 passengers and 150 tons of freight daily. Mr. Martens estimates that 75,000 people will go to the Klondike country next spring by the way of Dyea. POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS Widespread Interest in the Proposed Under- taking. Postmaster General Gary is receiving many letters regarding the postal savings bank proposition, strongly urged by him in his annual report. Many people through- out the country have written him, com- menting on this projected radical extension of the postal service, and have submitted some suggestions calculated, in their opin- icn, to make the scheme more feasible. As a whole, the correspondence indicates ea rather general commendation, and some well-known economists and finance’ num- bered among the Postmaster nerai’s friends, and who have heretcfore opposed measures of this character, have, in Ps just received, given a qualitied indorse stmiaster General Gary expects some tez- istatton by Congress on this sub, . ibly at the next session, and believes tnat extended discussion which has been z n it throughout the country will render material assistance to this end. In th an interview with the Associated y, Mr. Gary made an answer to ccmments that have been made on the subject. He said: Public Comment. “I am very much interested, and not a little gratified, at the public criticisms, as reflect yspap of my rec- ommer pect to postal savings depositories. of course, that the great majority of the papers are favorable ject, but Iam no less pleased with ich have taken an adverse ground. No one disputes that the project is beset by a good meny difficulties, and it is only by discussion, full and general, that they can be overcome and removed. “As far as I have been able to discover, only two objections have been seriousiy urged against a postal ought not ‘to go into the business of col- lecting and taking care of the savings of the people.’ I think this is an objection which may properly be left to Congress to answer. The other objection is based upon the generally admitted difficulty of finding safe and proper methods of putting the money accumulations to profitable use. Disposition of the Savings. “I deliberately abstained from setting forth a definite plan for the disposition of he savings, for the reason that it is a prob- lem Which deserves in its solution the bene- fit of the widest experience and highest wisdom. I contented myself for the time with outlining briefly a number of sugges- tions, repeatedly made“ by my predeces- sors in office and by others, and thereby inviting, as I believed, that critical and helpful discussion by the public which has begun already. Perhaps none of those suggestions, nor all of them put together, will prove equal to the task of absorbing profitably the collections of a postal sav- ings system, but I am convinced that the national debt, as it exists today, offers a temporary solution of this dfficulty. In the meantime, I have no doubt, a safe and satisfactory plan will be developed. “It*is agreed on all sides that, if practica- ble, a postal savings system would be most desirable. This means a great deal to- ward the success of the project. It is being demonstrated, too, daily, that the people want it, and it has been my experience that what the people want very much is usually pretty nearly’ right, very likely to be realized sooner or later. “I have received a good many letters since the publication of my report. from private individuals, from bankers, mer- chants, manufacturers, professional men and others. I value these personal com- munications very highly and hope to get discussion. I trust that the newspapers, which, by the way, treated my postal sav- savings system. The first, which never fails to turn up, is the olf ‘contention that the government many more. The proposition needs éiscus- Rite Ton sion, and Team confident that it will bear | titude in supporting the agitation Advertising is not an expense. It is a business investment. If you want to invest your money profitably you will therefore put your advertisements in such a paper as The Evening Star, that is read regularly and thoroughly by everybody worth reaching. The Star is the recognized household and family journal of the National Capital, and has no rival as an advertising med- ium. THORN’S NEW TRIAL His Attorney Outlines His Defense to the Murder Charge. MRS. NACK WILL BE ACCUSED Little Difficulty Expected in Ob- taining a Second Jury. JUDGE SMITH IS SICK NEW YORK, November 22.—Martin Thorn, jointly indicted with Mrs. Augusta Nack for the murder of William Gulden- suppe, was again placed on trial today In the criminal branch of the Queens county the court room were crowded with la’ rs, talesmen, reporters and newspaper artists. rs ex Required of A Deputy sheriffs were stationed at all the entrances to the court room, and no person Was allowed to enter without a pass. About 150 talesmen specially drawn for the tria were in attendance. Many of them were farmers from the remote parts of Long Island, and from their conversation in the corridors it was evident that they had not read or heard much about the Guldeasuppe murder. This is regarded as favorable for getting a jury within @ reasonable time. The witnesses were not allowed to sit in the court room, but were kept in an ante- room, or occupied seats in the main corri- dor just outside the court room. Mra. Ziegler, n New Witness, One of the new witnesses is Mrs, Ida Ziegler of New York. Since Mrs. Nack confessed that Thorn committed the mur- der Counsellor Howe has been directing his efforts to try and fasten the actual killing on Mrs. Nack, and to this end he has call- ed Mrs. Ziegler as a witness. She will tes- tify that as early as March last Mrs. Nack tried to hire her cottage at West Farms, telling her that Guldensuppe was to live with her In the cottage. Mr. Howe will en- vor to show by this witness that Mrs Nack was planning to murder Guldensuppe at that time. At the beginning of the first trial Mr. Howe had prepared an elaborate defense for Thorn. He refu edge that a murder had b and even insinuated that the s produce witnesses to show that den- e was alive in Germany after the day on which he is alleged to have been mur- dered in the cottage at Woodsi Mrs. Nacks’ unexpected confession upset all of Mr. Howe's plans. This induced him to prepare a new line of defense. Thorn and Mrs. Nack will each swear that the other killed Guldensuppe, and tt will be for the gr is to be believed. Judge Smith is Sick. Judge Smith, as secon as he arrived at the court house in Long Island City, sent for District Attorney Young, and told him that he was suffering from chills and and that rather than risk the possibility ot a second trial deemed it better to t phone for either Justices Maddox or Gay- or to try the « to acknow!]- nd jury to decide which ague, vs past,” said Judge Smith to a representative of the Associated Press, “and while I feel a great deal better this morning, 1 am afraid that I would not be able to last through the trial, aud deem it for the best interests of e concerned that I should not take < Smith went up on y opened owing to tiln the bench, ourt, and announced that he would not be able to je, but that Judge Maddox would sit in his stead, after which adjournment was taken unUil 11 o'clock. — AMONG TURFME TROUB! California Jockey € b and Owners’ Ans: jation at Odds. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Novmber 22. There is serious trouble -hetween the Call- fornia Jockey Club and the recently or- ganized Horse Owners’ Protective Associa- tion. The club, of which T. H. Williams is president, controls the Oakland track, and members of the association have expressed dissatisfaction at the size of the purses given. President Williams called the owners around Lim and to'd them that when men gan agitation inimical to the turf inter- csts in California he would ask such per- sens to withdraw from the Oakland track. He demanded that Chas. Boots, the leader of the horse owners’ movement, return his badge and take his string from the water Ane owuits ‘appekial & xauannie to meet President Williams and endeavor to have his order rescinded. Should it be enforced complications which cannot be all forseen are expected to affect the win- ter racing both at Oakland and Ingleside. ee ECHOES OF THE DREYFUS CASE. first trial, which was begun two w was interrupted and had to be abandoned on account of Juror Larsen becoming se- riousty ill. There was a repetition today of the scenes which marked the opening of the first trial. The main floor and galleries of French Military Circles Greatly Worked Up Over the Case. PARIS, November 22.—Ex-President Casi- mir Perier in an interview today declined to confirm or deny the story told today by the Paris correspondent of the Daily Chronicle regarding the connection of Em- peror William of Germany with the Drey- fus affair. The arrest of Major Pauffin De Saint- Morel, who is now undergoing a month's rigorous confinerrent to his quarters, has led to a serious wrangle between General Billot, the minister for war, and General Boisdeffre, the chief of the French head- quarters staff, and whose name has been mentioned as the successor of Count De Montebello as French asbassador to St. burg. Major De Saint-Morel is the aid-de-camp of General Boiredeffre and was punished prison of Cherche-Midi, was punished by being relieved of his post. > TO EXCLUDE THE CHINESE. government of this country is taking Ky .%