Evening Star Newspaper, August 31, 1907, Page 1

ad = THE EVENING STAR WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION. @usine-s Office, 11th Street ana Pennsylvanic Avenes Tae Evening Star Newspaper Compary. | | THEODORE W. NOYES Presigent. | New York Office: Tribune Building. Chicago Office: First National Bank Building. The with the Sunday morning edf- Yon, Is riers, on their own account, | within Sunday jonth; without the ts per month. | :. 60 cente, { 50 centa, LOCAL POLICECHANGES Official Transfers and Promotions. NO RADICAL ACTION TAKEN Announcement of Two Headquarters Detectives Given New Assignments. CHIEF SYLVESTER’'S REASONS Inspector Swindells to | Attention to Duties as Assist- ant Superintendent. mmissioner West and Maj. Sylvester conferred this morning abo much talked-of changes scheduled to be made in the police department, and about noon the announcement was made. Two members the detective corps were relleved from duty there and assi They are Detectives Edward Horne and Lawr A. O'Dea. The former is to be given a detail at nia depot and the latter w preinet. Charles R. Mu w he Penn- sylvania Detective Howard Ve Sirst Inct get the promotion to the vacancies in the de- { tective office Other ¢ order affect the work arters, but of them is radical nature. Inspector Ha L. rd, whose duties have kept him closé ynfined at head- quarters and whose | has not been good, is to hereafter 1 the duties heretofore assigned to Inspector Cross. This new work will be the means of giving him outdoo! believed, will transfer to the cts a change in the duties srformed by Inspector Cross. The most important change, however, in coune with Inspector John A. Swin- dells is hereafter to perform the ies of assistant to the superintendent of police Changes Explained. The cha in the duties of those af- fected by the order is explained in the communication of Maj. Sylvester to Com- missioner West, follow “In view of the smal! working force in the office of the and superintendent, it is recommended etor John A. Swindells be relieved that Ins} of the labors incident to the trial board, to enable that officer to devoie his full time and attention to the duties of assistant to the superintend Gesstoid be assign nt on Indpec that Inspector H. L. to the duties now in- or Cfoss, in supervising the property, wasons, horses, harness, equipment, requisitions, leaves of absence, keeping records at the Several stations, sup- plies. revolver practice nd police | mat- ters as prescribed in general orders and the reg r or E. Eross, mount- ed, be @ d to gene force and station 1 as to the bearing { attention to duty ef the members of force in all its beatches, as required by law and regulations, visiting the po- lice preeinets, pc dq juvenie court house of detent nd harver precinct, serving that the ipline and moraie of the force is maintaimed, and to report in- fiactions and deficiencies Bicycle Squad. pection ef the the th “In this connection 1 Crots is to | employ the four bicyel ants in that service and to keep ords of his actions and recommendations. The and general and s s to be ot served in car changes and the seve named to be re- Bpected in ities In his comm Owing to the Im al st of the force and the m and inc at demands made upon it in all the nets, it has been necessary to for needed he'p in the superintendent's office to the end that the public meght y possi- ble assistance. This change, it i will remedy the situation in a mea Future Probability. It had been the sioner West and in in order that he might ntendent and ter during his Inspector Boardman the detective office act as ass perform the ¢ absenc: that the relieved trem duty time, owing to be selected however t done wher Inspector s mber of yonths wx Wanted to retire, t to remain active duty soleitation of Maj that short will rems t orce only ment ut © Wi ¥ with the men wed in the gambling busi- i hat Detective O'Dea is the enly member ¢ e detective force who ¥ andbook man bi the gamblers wa His remarks, it is n the case d that he had said or proper admi mst the His Own Detective Horne som that he be given a vailroad depots, and today's order came in the nature of & request. Ed Horne. as he is so wel 1 familiarly know the reputation of being 1 ges a is state » be 6 of ‘ 1 trans to be es will not be an unt xt w nn Panama Labor Surfeit. MARSELL Fr August 31.—Six hundred Italian workmen, who have ar- ved here expecting to go to Colon and tain employment on the Pa will not proceed to the isthmus, as their @ervices ar 1 not needed, the canal authori- fies having discontinued hiring labor @broad, the 42,000 men now at work being , Sufficient for the present. Give Entire | Special Dispateh to The Star. | New YoRK, August 31.—After trying in vain to kill an entire family, a 1 himself shot dead this mor these he had tried to kill The shootir took e in the kitchen of a neighbor, | after the burglar had made three visits to the rooms he desired to rob. On the first visit he was red away. The second time he opened wide two gas cocks In the kitchen gas range. The third time he went back to turn on » instead of two, the Che Evening Star. - SHOT BURGLAR DEAD |Tried to Murder Whole Family by Asphyxiation. ‘SAVED BY A CRYING INFANT . |Exciting Man-Hunt in a Dark New York Fiat. TOOK DESPERATE CHANCES Leaped a Four-Story Chasm Trying to Escape—Killed in the End. Slayer Free. first attempt at murder having been dis- Fate was Kind once more to the covered. and they all escaped. Then eping famil. n-hunt began all through the rooms a on the fourth fic It was a hunt in the 5 East 83d street. dark, with a thief slipping from place to place, desperate enough to do anything, and a determined man following up each step, in hand, waiting to«get a good view of his target. Cornered,-the burglar took a ter- rible chance and leaped from the lintel of a window four stories above the sidewalk to the lintel of another, a yard away. Then he ran through a room full of screaming children and women to the kitchen, trying to find an exit by way of the rear fire es- cape. Here he fell, with three bullets out of four in his body. The other missed. The thief died at once. Charles Verrall, assistant superintendent of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was the man whe did the shooting. He lives on the fourth floor of the five-story brown- stone house in 83d street. Verrall’s family includes his wife Bridget, nis son Thomas, four years old, his son, Charles, six months old, and his wife's brother, Patrick Kier- nan. The second floor of the houSe is vacant. Some time early in the evening the man slipped into the house, and after jimmying the door of a vacant room on the second floor. concealed himself inside to await his opportunity to rob. First Attempt. It was about 1 o'clock this morning that or of 2 revolver Charles, the Verrall baby, began to toss uneasily and cry. Its peevishness awak- ened the mother. She tried to soothe it, and then arose and went out to the kitchen to warm some milk for It. When she stepped into the kitchen she heard a h z noise, the ation of which she could | not identify then, and saw that the rear \* ndow looking it on the fire-escape was | wide : re was an odor of gas, but not § ig enough to affect her, and s Went on with her preparation: The | milk was warmed and the baby became | quiet when he found the nipple of the bot- | tle in his mouth. Mrs. Verrall told her { husband about the odor of gas she had ed and asked him what he thought of t. He made light of the matter. In a few minutes they were all asleep again and the flat was quiet. It may be that when Mrs. Verrall went out to warm the baby’s milk the intruder was hidden somewhere on the premises, or it may be that he had slipped down the fire escape again and returned later. Whatever the circumstances, it {s certain that the next time he manipulated the gas he turned on every jet that he could find. He soon had gas flowing from the two in the range, a Jet suspended from the center of the kitchen and two in the dining room. With ng full blast the family would soon have been dead had not Mrs. Verrall, who did not sleep well after the baby had aroused her the first time, again awakened with a peculiar censation in her throat and eling as if she were stifling. That was k instantly came to the at something was altogether Then she awoke her hus- n one after another. They vestigation 1e hu and id and chil made an first of striking a match, then he ic did this an ‘explosion { would follow, so the investigation was car- ried on in the darkness. In turn the various jets were found open and shut off Stabbed the Robber. Verrall marshaled his family and led jthem acre the hall to the rooms of | Thomas Kiernan. There the two families talked it over. Then Mrs. Ve as if some one were . wa rooms, and she cried out: We'll get him, Tom.” dren and Mrs. Verrall cow- 1an’s rooms, Kiernan, arming a shovel, and Verrall, taking started to trace the source of the r Verrall, gun in hand, went to the rear and, entering the kitchen, started work his way very slowly toward the t of the house. WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 19097-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. TWO CENTS. OFFERING OUR “GOOD OFFICES.” lice. He was later arraigned before Mag- istrate Corrigan in the Harlem police court and promptly discharged when all the facts in the case were indited in the records. “I have looked up the law in this mat- said Magistrate Corrigan to the po- lcemen who arraigned Verrall before him, “and have found that the prisoner is entitled to his liberty. There is abso- lutely no reason for either of us holding him. There is one undesirable citizen less in the world.” UNDER SUNNY SKIES FINE CONDITIONS FOR GREAT FUTURITY RACE TODAY. YORK, August 31——When the that are to start in the Futurity were saddled today for their last ercise gallop they were led upon a track that was fast and fit for a record-breaking pace. A summer sun beamed smilingly ou the great stretches of green that lay eneireled by the course, while out of the west tripped a gentle, cooling breeze, which tempered the air and made it an ideal day for the sport. The horses were put through paces today and all drew up without a limp or sprain. The gallops were take easily in order to work out any possible stiffness. The advance guard of racegoers started early for the track, and long before “boots and saddles” for the first race the grand stands were fairly well filled with spec- tators. The highways leading to the course throbbed with automobiles carry- ing parties of gaily dressed women. Blevated trains and trolley car: crowded to the doors, moved in one dire tion from Brooklyn’ bridge to the race track, while vehicles of all ancient and modern make were pressed into service to care for the overflow. The clicking turn- stiles forecasted a record-breaking attend- NEW eight candidate ance. Society came back from the moun- tains and watering places to witness this classic event, and the verandas of the clubhouse were thronged with tastefully gowned women and their escorts. ———___.+—___- WILL SAIL OLD MAYFLOWER. Woman Skipper to Handle Famous Cup Defender. NEW YORK, August 31.—Mrs. Eva M. Barker, who owns the old America’s defender Mayflower, has entered the yacht in the coming ocean race to Jamestown and will sall the famous schooner herself. ‘The contest, which will be held under the auspices of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club of Greenwich, Conn., will start in Long Island sound next Thursday morning. Mrs. Barker, who has been one of the most enthusiastic yachtswomen in America since she acquired the famous craft that beat the Galatea in 1886, is undaunted even by the fact that the Mayflower will have to compete against such racers as the Ingo- mar, which Capt. Barr will sail. She really hopes to win, but says she is only gotng for a-jolly sail. ——_-—_____. PRAYER FOR THE SCHOOLS. h the kitchen, dining room and pursuit led. When the bur- he front window he threw it got out on the narrow lintel, and pausing a moment, risked his neck by a leap from the lintel of th ndow look- ing into Kternan’s rooms. Kiernan's daugh- ter Jennie saw the man land on the sill and come through the window. She screamed loudly. Her father, lifting his shovel and crying, “He's in my reoms now!” ran in the direction of the sound. Verrall | also came bursting out of the reom in which Slayer Is Commended. ‘The thief ran right through a group of crying children and gained the Kiernan kitchen. He was within a few feet of the fire escape witen Verrall gét a fine view of him in the full light. He fired four shots as rapidly as he could pull the trig- ger. One bullet struck the intruder in the arm. Another hit him in the chest. A third lodged in his abdomen and the fourt! went wild. The burglar fell where h stood ‘There were no papers or anything on the dead thief which would furnish 2 clue to his identity. The man was sli ly bald and ab@ut thirty-five years of age. He had gray eyes and a sandy mustache. His clothing was black. The police ma be able to find out who the man is through the circumstance that five of his upper teeth are missing and two of the lower. Verrall went to the station with the po- 9, Sunday, September 8, Designated a Special Day in Churches. NEW YORK, August 31.—Sunday, Sep- tember 8, is to be observed by churches throughout the country as a day of spe- cial prayer for the public schools. The plan was suggested by the National Reform Association and has been indorsed by the Presbyterian general assembly and other church conventions. The fall term of the public schools begins on the day following in New York and many other parts of the country. SSS: MANY NATIVES KILLED. Portuguese Troops Severely Punished Rebellious African Subjects. Special Cablegrain to The Star. LISBON, August 31—Official dispatches from Mossamedes announce that a battle has taken place near Musilo between the | Bortuguese and 7,000 natives, resuiting in a brilliant victory for the Portuguese, The J josses of the enemy were heavy. Tne Portuguese lost ten killed and twenty-two wounded. Mossamedes is a town in Angola, Portu- | guese West Africa. The natives have been in rebellion for several months. A military expedition left Lisbon on May 1 last for thelg suppression, cup 7 NOTICE. The price of this paper at NEWSSTANDS and from NEWSBOYS is TWO CENTS. There has been no change of any kind in the price of the paper to newsboys, and readers should pay no more than the printed price. PROBE BRIDGE WRECK CANADIAN AUTHORITIES START SEARCHING INQUIRY. Special Dispatch to The Star. QUEBEC, August 31—With the cause | that led to the collapse of the mammoth he St. Lawrence above this c till in doubt, the sk of fixing the responsfbility for the saster promises to be a difficult one. Relatives of the dead bridge builders de- clared their intention today of instituting suits for damages, as they said they had good claims. This has opened up a dis- cussion as to who must shoulder the bur- den, and it is clearly evident that neither the ‘Transcontinental Railway Company, for which the structure was being erected, nor the Phoenix Bridge Company, the con- tractors, will accept the responsibility without a long-drawn-out legal battle. Work of recovering the dead bodies from the great mass of wreckage in the river was resumed today. ‘The list of fatalities has not been altered, as only eight of the ninety-two ope ors on the bridge at the time it collapsed have thus far been re- ported alive. One of the worst features Of the disaster is the impossibility of af- fording the majority of the bereaved fami- lies the satisfaction of recovering intact the bodies of their dead. cantilever bridge over A number of the bodies already taken from the water were so badly mutilated that they could scarcely be recognized. There is small hope of recovering all the bodies, as most of them were completeiy srushed by the twisted ma: of fallen 1 beneath which they Le buried. Dead and Missing. A revised list of the dead and compiled today wa B. ser, American; John L. G. H. Burks, American; American; P. C. Rey George Cook, American; Philip Boisvi American; Ernest Joncas, Caradian; French, Canadian; Joe Biron, Canadian; Wilson, Canadian; Albert Emond, Cana- dian; Michael Hardy, Canadian; Charles Hanson, Canadian; Staley Wilson, Cana- dian; Eugene Desmond, Canadian; Aime Lebel, Canadian; John McNaughton, Cana- dian; Phileas Couture, Canadian; Omer Fontaine, Canadian; Thomas Callahan, ‘America: Carl Stevenson, American; James Bowen, American; Frank Saft, American; Henry Briggs, American; J. B. E. Johnston, American; A. J. O. Smith, American; R. 8. Smith, American; G. R. Brind, American; Albert Smith, Canadian; Joseph Binette, Canad:an; Joseph Boucher, Canadian; L. Broulx, Canadian; Leon Es- mond, Canadian; Honore Beaudry, Cana- dian; Thomas L. Deer, Indian; Ism’ Angus, Indian; Louis Diabor, Indian; Peter Diabor, Indian; Joseph Doig, Indian; John Norton, Indian; Joseph Dallebout, Indian; Joseph Diabor, Indian; Joseph Deer, Indian; Louis Lee, Indian; Joseph Boodleas, Indian; An- gus’ Blue, Indian; Joseph French, Indian M. Delisle, Indian; Thomas Bruce, Indian} Angus Montour, Indian; Joseph Lefebere, J. Aldersolt, plds, Americ Indian; L. M. Jacobe, Indian; John Jooks, Indian; Michael Adams, Indian; Andrew Price, Indian; James Mitchell, Indian; J. C, Morris, Indian, and Joseph Dionne, In- dian. ‘The bodies of the victims were all brought to town today, and are now in the morgue. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has wired his sym- pathy with the city and so has the mayor of Bradford, England. ‘The Canadian government authorities started a rigid investigation today to fix the responsibility for the accident. SENT WORKMEN WARNING. Consulting Engineer Cooper Wanted Building Suspended. NEW YORK, August 31.—Theodore Cooper of this city, who has been the con- sulting engineer in charge of the work on the huge cantilever brigge across the St. Lawrence river, which collapsed Thursday evening, feels keenly the accident that cost the lives of seventy-nine workingmen. In a statement made to a reporter he re- proached himself for not having visited the works in two years, though ill heaith has kept him here, and he tried to obtain: his release from the responsibility of the posi- tion for that reason, - Mr, Cooper a'so made the statement that on Thursday morning, after his inspector had come to see him and toid him that things did not look well for the bridge, he had sent a telegram to the man in charge of the work to ge idgze and stay off it until it cou Mr, Cooper has not been warning was too late. Worked With Eads. “Of course, plannea ror not the believe that the work absolutely safe,” Mr. we was Cooper said, “though in dealing with even an old type of work on a hitherto un- paralelled je new nex pected problems now and then One can- not _prephe. with infallibility about something that is absolutely n I can- not teil what is coming out of this; maybe we shail learn about things we never knew befe M one of the most distin- guis in this cc as well as 0) most e: He is sixty-eight years of age. He was asso- ed with James B. ds in construc St. Louis bridge over the Missi river, from 1872 to 18 s superin- tendent of the Delaware bridge works, and has been long considered a bridge ex- pert in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Besides a number of engineer papers. he is the author of “Cooper's Specifications for the Superstr Railroad and Highway Brids twice received the Norman me by the American Society of neers. MANSFIELD’S WILL BELIEVED TO HAVE LEFT $900,000 TO HIS WIFE. Special Dispatch to The Star. NEW YORK, August 31.—It is claimed that Richard Manstield left an estate of $900,000. His will will be read at his coun- try home, Seven Oaks, New London, after the funeral Monday afternoon. Among his possessions were the Grange, the Homestead and Seven Oaks, worth $150,000; the mansion at 316 Riverside drive, worth $150,000; life insurance of $250,000; scenery and costumes and dramatic’ ef- fects worth $200,000; stocks, bond3/ and worth $200,000. hich is in charge of former Dittenhoefer, it is believed, be- Judge queaths all the large estate to his wife and child. ee MRS. WARNER WINS. Notable Case Involving Commissioner of Pensions Ends. Special Dispatch to The Star. CLINTON, Ul, August 31.—In a decision handed down in the circuit court Judge W. G. Cochran ruled that Mrs. Isabella Robin- son Warner, stepmother of Vespian War- ner, United States commissioner of pen- sions, 1s entitled to dower and homestead rights in the estate of her deceased hus- band, Dr. John Warner. = The court held that at the time of his death Dr. Warner wes worth $1,600,000. The effect of the decision, if sustained by the supreme court, to which an appeal will be carried, is to give the widow the old War- ner homestead in Clinton, $250,000 and an annualaincome of $10,000. Judge Cochran also held in his de that the charge made by Vespasian Warn that his stepmother was part negro that the blood of the children she bore his father was tainted, was unwarranted and based purely on hearsay and rumo —_—_—_—_+____ FATAL FEUD FIGHT. Relatives of Senator Moncey Killed in 3 Mississippi. Spee teh to The Star. GR wc , August 21—Two relatives of Senator Money were the v.c- tims of a fe x last ni James Mon kilied-outr s father,morta.ly wounded by Dr, by. Grov. and | COLLINS LEAVES GP, 0, Superintendent’s Resignation Guarded With Secrecy. DISAGREES WITH STILLINGS Official Lightning Strikes Member of Inner Circle. PRINTERS FILE COMPLAINT Civil Service Commission Hears of Al- leged Irregularity in Discharge of Employes at Print Shop. \ The resignation of Homer K. Collins, superintendent of the government printing office building and chief e’ectrician, has been accepted by Public Printer Stillings. This information was not given out of- ficially at the printery, but was issued to a select few of the “‘chief advisers” as a se- cret verbal general order. But the order leaked and the news is out. Mr. Collins is no longer a member of the exclusive-and- select-order-of-experimentalists -at-govern- ment-expense. It is understood that the cause of his undoing was that he disagreed with the public printer as to certain pro- posed innovations of an alleged freak na- ture in the department under Mf. Collins’ control. Thereupon a bolt of official tight- ning descended from the fateful front of- ficc and the superintendent was knocked down and out. Certain things are known to be fatal at the government printing office. One of the “most fatal’ is to obstruct by word or deed any projected experiment or innova- tion by the public printer. Who will suc- ceed Superintendent Collins is as yet con- Jectural. The appointment may be an- nounced in general orders when Mr. Siill- ings returns to Washington next Tues it is said, Sweatshop Methods Condemned. The story of the “sweatshop” methods re- cently adopted in the bindery and folding room at the printing office, which ap- peared in The Star yesterday, has caused a wave of indignation. One of the results was the rece'pt by The Star of a number of communications from government offi- wis’ and citizens severely arraigning the public printer and his ass'stants because of the reduction of the wage scale of the union folders. In the face of recent announcements by Mr. Stillings of promotions in the printery nd the increase of sa.aries of thos» h'g! on the official scale in the “front offic and its annexes, ction in cutting down the stipend of the woman workei characterized as cruel and uncall One of the correspondents wrote “You are doing a charitable act to hun- dreds of poor suffering beings by the man- ner in which you have begun to show up the abus-s in the government printing of- fice.’ Z Another writer said: “You deserve the commendation of the people for your ex- “pose of the cruel treatment accorded the poor women of the bindery and fo'ding de- partment and the reduction of their gnall wages that some of the gilt-edge offic may receive more princely salaries. These wom-n in nearly every instance have many dependents to provide for, and to reduce their paltry earnings at this time, when the ice of food is going up and rents are at their highest, is cruelty of the most cold- blood-d character. A statement was made today in connec- tion with the reduction of the price of piecework in the folding room and bindery that the expensive audit system the public printer hi installed in the office will re- quire the services of 250 woman clerks at the ratio of one clerk to keep tab on every twenty compositors or other workers. It was added that at the proposed increase of the clerical end of the establishment there will soon be more clerks employed there than mechanics, folders, ete. Printers File Protest. A number of protests have been filed at the United States elvil service commmission, it is sald, to the effect that the civil service laws regarding the employment of “eligi- bles” have been violated by Public Printer Stillings at the government printing office. These protests have been made by men who passed tye civil service examination and were employed on the temporary roll at the printery for a short time when they were “laid off,” unjustly and unnecessarily, they claim, and in vivlation of the civil service laws. Among those who have protested are Fred ©. Chase and J. F. Moulden. According to them 120 printers were employed by the printin, ago, all of whom rvice examina- tion. A short time afierward Mr. Stillings discharged forty-fiv them with no ex- planatio to the of every one those who were thus relieved were the first ¢ on the civil service list. That fs, y were the ones who had passed the civil service examination with the highest ages, and those wio were retained were lower on_ the list. is diseriminat:on, Messrs. Chace and Moulden declare, is not in ce with the civil service laws. 8 called to the attention of the civil service commission and it is al- that an explanation was called for officials of the printery, but although several weeks have elapsed no answer has been received. It is also claimed that these men who were “dropped” are needed at, the printing office and they cannot see why Mr. Stillings refuses to take them on again. Junkets Now in Order. “Before the advent of Public Printer Stillings,” said an official today, “junket- ing trips by employes of the office were prac. tically unheard of, Under former public printers they were the exception; now they appear to be the rule. While Mr, Stillings or one of his high-priced supervisors of sections of the ‘works’ are busy retrench- ing at the expense of the overworked and ily paid folder worten under what is termed ‘the pound of flesh order,’ there 1s Kidd making a tour of the country presum H ring data at the expense of Uncle xploitation, no doubt, of more and experiments upon his re- ity 3 itinerary embraces Philadelphia, ew York, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Mon- treal and many other places. This govern- ment traveier left here July 4, and is scheduled to return September 15. I don't blame Mr. Kidd, but just look at the airy mission he is on, and the expenss, and then —lvoK at the poor, emaciated folding woin- n toiling their tives out to make a pit- tance to keep body and soul together, and then to have that pittance still further re- duced to a sweat-shop raie. Frank A, Kidd appears en the records pf the government. printing office ‘a:sistant foreman, alary of per annum, He is @ graduate of law. Weather. Fair tonight and tomorrow and probably Monday. Moder ate temperature. BLAME SHIFTED TO AUTHORITIES BY READING ROAD Answer Made to Government Trust Allegations. DENIES CONSPIRACY CHARGE Says Responsibility Is on the Federal Officials. HANNA'S NAME ALSO INVOLVED Advanced Wages Under Protest on Pressure From Repubiican National Committee. The Reading Company, the Phil- adelphia and Reading Railway Company and the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company today filed answers to the suit of the federal government to break up the alleged monopoly in the anthra- cite coal regions. The answers make a general denial of the gov- ernment’s allegations. They de- clare the agreements to advance the price of coal were brought about in 1900 by the violence of the strikers, by the failure of the United States and the state of Pennsylvania to protect the coal companies, and the importunities of the'late Marcus A. Hatna, who was anxious to end the strike on account of the impending presidential election. Special Dispatch to The Star. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Auzust 231.—Mak- ing general denials of the charges con- tained in the United States government's suit against the members of the so-called coal combine, begun on Jun2 12 last, the answers of th> three Readiag companies named a3 defendants In the suit, whigh were filed in the United States circult court today, put the esponsibility for the agrees’ ment entered into by the coal operators squarely upon the shoulders of the gov- ernment It that the ments to advance the price ofe coal wete wholly” brought about in 180 by the violence and is declared as! intimldation of the striking mine workers, by the failure of the United States gov- ernment and siate of Pennsylvania to en- force the law and protect the coal*com- panies and the importunities of the late Marcus A, Hanna, who, It is alieged, was anxious to cnd the strike of the miners on account of the impending pres dential election. It is asserted that as a result of these conditions the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company was forced to make contracts with the operators, but nothing is said in the answer about any eubsequent reduction in the price of coal nor ny reason given to show why It has not been reduced. Separate answe-s are made to the charges in the government's suit to the effect that the three Reading companies entered | a conspiracy with the other coal-carryifig roads to restrain trade in anthracite coal for each of the Read- ing companics—the Philadelphia and Read~ ing Railway Company, the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company and the Reading Company proper. Story of the Strike. General denials are made of the con- spiracy charges in the answers of the Reading Coal and Iron Company and that of the railway. It is in the reply of the coal an@ iron company that the sensa- tlonal defense putting the responsibility on the government is made. It is declared that “for a long time prior to the Ist day of October, 10, this de- fendant and other mine operators in the region in which their mines are located, commonly called the Schuykill region, were peacefully prosecuting their opera- tions in amity with thelr workmen, but at or about that time a voluntary association organized under the name of the United Mine Workers of America and having its headquarters at Indianapolis in the state of Indiana, of which one John Mitchell was na d as president and W. B. Wilson as secretary-treasurer, inaugurated a st:ike of the mine workmen in some por- tions of the anthracite coal regions of the state, whereunder substantially all the workmen in the said regions abandoned their worl nder the forée and effect of violence nee and intimidation, and the emplc and workmen of this defend- ant and others in the same neighborhood were induced or compelled by like vio- lence, tur ce and -intimicat on to aban- don their employment.” Enter Mark Hanna. ‘The answer goes on to say that “shortly afterward it was represented in substance to the officials of this defendant, and the rep- resentatives of other mining Sompanies, by one Mareus A. Hanna, acting as chairman of the republican national committee, in the then pending political c en for the election of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, that if the said sirike should not be speedily set- tled, by an advance in the wages of the workmen in and about the m'ncs in the en- tire anth region, the ke would ex- tend to ihe states of Ohio, Indiana and Mli- nd lection of Mr. McKinley and Mr ereby endan- gered.” ‘The an pre- sented to the a Mr s would 10 per cent Mite: ve their n WAKES. t forth that the workme Nery we er other pr: ° in conference with Mr ever, that the officials of ti ised rmit the resumption yerations In any part of the thracite regions until the uniform ad- Vance of 10 per cent in wages should be