Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 10, 1889, Page 1

THE OMAHA DALY BEE - — —_fl ¢ BY A MID-WINTER CYCLONE. Reading Transformed Into a Scene of Desolation. I — AN APPALLING LOSS OF LIFE. B Sy S pp— any Buildings Completely Wrecked and Their Occapants Crashed in the Ruins -Frightfal Bis- aster at Pittshurg. b A Harvest of De f READING, Pa., Jan, 0.-This was the sad | dest night in the history of Reading. A hun | dred households are in mourning as the re { sult of one of the greatest calamitics in the history of Pennsylvania. A lone swept over the northern section of the city this af ternoon and laid waste everything in its reach, with terrible loss of life. The lives ! that have been sacriieed and the number of \ persons injured can at this writing only be A estimated. The most hle computation ’ at 11 o'clock to-night is that not less than sixty persons have been killed outright, and . e over a hundred injured. th. 1t rained hard here all night and this morn- ing. Toward noon it ceased entirely, and t 4o'clock there was every indication tha’ 1 shere would be an entire cessation of th f storm. Half an hour afterwards the bright sun was making every effort to penetrate the \ clouds, and tints of rainbow were scen in the for half changed with a_sud alling. The flecey ominotis sizns of th savy banks of clouds shallod themselves and began approach- the town. Then the wind whistied, I ana tore along in mad confusion. The clouds grew heavier still, and loud I'the wind. In the western sky the m was seen approacting with a thunder: ous noise. The swath it cut wis narrow but | the cffect was torrible. Persons residing along the track of the storm sy that the 4 suw the first signs of damger in the funnc | shaped maelstrom which secmed 1o gather up everything within its reach and cast it | right and left. Out in the country houses and barns were unrooted, farm out-buildings { overturned, crops rooted ‘up, and destruction \ spread in every dir h The track of this destrictive eloment was { not moro than 200 feet wide, and it is luc It thut 1t only touched the subur i 1t came from the west, but passed northern boundary of - Reading. castern sky. This continue an Then the scen 8 that was o ciouds gave way to coming storm. Dark, | struck the Mount Penn stove works i the corner building was struck and of the roof cut off. Then th cloud scurried across the ficlds, took , off a portivn of the roof of J. H. Sternbers's \ rolling mill, and a number of dwellings wer 1 unroofed ns readily as if their tin roofs wor ‘The storm then crossed the railroad. Tore u passenger car was standing. 'This | was overturned as quickly as if it had been a toy and its spiinters carried in every direc tion. i Meanwhile the rain poured down in tor- l I [ | reuts. The atmosphere became heavy and A oporessive, and it was almost dark as y 3 night. On one sidge of the track of the 0 Reading railroad were situated the paint 4 shops of the company. 1t was a ouc-story | i building about 60x in size. Here about \ 190 men were employed in painting passen- , gor cars, There werc cight or nine of these in the building, costing §5,000 each. The e l building was struck squarely in the middle s and the bricks scattered avout as if they turned [} were playthings. The cars were topsy-turvey, while the men were buried under the deb: The chamber of h pas- senger car was sle@ady filled with gas, as they were ready to be taken out on the road ’ in a few days. They exploded, one after an- other, with the fearful bang of a cannon, causing the people to run out of their houses, thinking that it was the sound of an earthanake. Thore was a considerabl line in the buildinzz,and th flanes, A sheet of Hame shot outward with the roar of musketry. Some twenty of the men had a chanco to crawl out of the deoris, but four of their companions were enveloped in the embrace of the flames, Their crics were heard for a moment by the torrified kmen, and then their voices were hushed They were quickly roasted to ir from nine passenger cars liv It was a quantity of gaso- dded fuel to the Th death. up the heavens for miles around. - beautiful sight, and could have been enjoyed i but for the uwful calamity which accoupan- ied it. Tn the meantime the fire department_was i called out, but its sorvices wore unavailing, | Tho building and cars wore consumed in | fifteen minutes and nothing left but black- 1 ened, smoking ruins, under which lay four | human beings, burnéd to @ crisp. Their | names are: ] | Jous KALLy ALIERT LANDUERGER, Snriina Gronar ] 1t was rumored that sevoral others had been_ killed, but theso are the only ones it is known have lost their lives. Aaron Dewalt, another employe in the paint shop, had ah arm broken, and George i<nabb was njured internally, no doubt “The loss to the railroad company is 0 i While this was all going on the storm was ) traveling forward with fearful rapidity, Tt 4 must have traveled at the rate of 100 miles \ an_hour. 1t struck somo moro private houses and unroofed a dozen private resi- dences. Hugo sheots of tin wero carried half @ square away and deposited in a lot. Then the storm proceeded in its full fury. Dircctly in _its path, at the corner of Twelfth and Marion streets, stood the Kead- ing silk mill, Here about 175 girls were working. The building was o huge struc ture, most substantially buils, four stories in height, and had a basement besides, 1t oc- cupled'an entire block of ground. The butld wg atself was nearly 500 feot in length and about 150 feot wide. 1t was surmounted by wassive tower fully 100 feet from the a ground. The funnel'shaped storm cloud struck the building airectly in the center on its broadest side, which faced west. It fell to pieces us if composed of so many building blocks. Nearly 200 human beings went down in the uwiul wreck, The walls gave away and the floors fell one on top of the other and carried their reat mass of human beings to the boltom, 'ho bricks were piled up in the greatest con- ! fusion, while amidst the hurrying, rushing, ! rouriug Wikl terrible cries for succor werd that sont up to beaven. It was a_moment tried men's souls, and almost simuitaneous building came awful with the fall of the cries for relief, Girls with blackeued faces, bruised and broken limbs, their clothing torn, dragged themselves from the ruins, Probably seventy-five or a hundred escapod vore by their friends. worked on the were thrown near At some places the , and un- it huwan dragged out of course, upper’ floors, and the top of the debris. bricks were piled twenty feet de derncath them are lyiwng to-nigl bodies by the scor About 250 girls and young women are usu- ally employed n the mill, but at 4 o'clock eighty weré relioved from duty for the day. They returned to thew howmes before the L4 storm came, The most reliable estimate to-night places { the numbor ia tho builiing wien it weut { down in the neighborhood of 175, and, as be- fore stated, 100 of these were rescued by friends or dragged thewselves out immedi- ately after the accident. An alarm for relief was immediately sent out and in & short time thousands of citizens arrived to help out the dead and dying. The sCone was & harrowing one, and beggars des- cription, The mill is situated near the foot of “Mt. Penn, a high mountain overlooking the city. When the people arrived every- 1 thing Wwas enveloped in- darkness, Then huqa bonfires were built, which cast a dis- mal glare on the surrounding scene. The fire companies left the burning paint ) ted in the rescue of the dead The euntire police force was Ambulance and relief corps and shop and & snd dying, called out, thousands of people were in among the de bris, carrying out bricks, pulling away timbers, and assisting wherever they could, all at the same time, but their work was slow mpared with the demand for rescue of the victims of the dis aster, Here a young woman was taken out, suffering with cuts and bruises, One body, it was noticed as it was dragged out, had its head cut off, Others were in various st ures, the living all _suftering fromn terrible wounds and some almost scared to death An Associsted press reprosentative entered what was once the bascrent of the building, and, groping his way through the debris, noticed the bodies of five young girls lying close together, He tried to pull them out, but they were pinned down, and it was _im possible to get them ®ut. They were dead and beyond all human aid Up to 10:30 to night probably the bodies of a dozen dead have been taken out, while the greater portion of the remainder were still under the runs. The work ot rescue will bs pushed all night, but it may be far into the orrow before all the bodies are taken out., The rescuers still have the greatest hopes that those insidd still living, and there is every hope for saving them. Allis chaos and confusion around e mill. The mana- gers are missing, and the correct number is merely guesswork. 1t may mot be over forty, and then rain there is a likelihood that it will reach sixty or hty I'he silk mill was built about ei four years ago. The builders were Reading capitalists, and the cost of putting it up was_$63,000 The mill was leased to Grimshaw Bros., of Paterson, N. J., where they aiso operato similar mills, and they have been running it eversimee. The machinery they put in the mill cost £45.000. This is a total loss. Wh the Associated press representative visited the scene of the wreck at 11 o'clock to-nizht he found everything in it con- fusion, At that time about a dozen dead bodies had been taken out. Among those who are dead are the following: HENRY Crockrg, foreman of silk mill and married, twenty-three vears old, head ushed 'in, neck and arm broken, from Ne ndon, Conn LAUIA KAusHNER, Eva Lens. Liiny ( w. KATiE BowaAy. Katiz Leas, AMELIA CIUUSTVAN, Soriir WINKLEVAN, BLix Loxa. Wit WiLiios Row Reueny Hovs KATE REIDEN A ROSE CLEMM R Clerk Autenbach stated at midnight that fully cizhty bodics were in the ruins under the three floors. His list of the employes is lost, and owing to the confusion in taking out the injured he was unable to furnish a Bl list of the killed. DBut eighty is a conser- vative estimate of those who lost their lives, among the wounded are Geraldine Glazier, Annio Leeds, Bertha Ku- Ella Lamm Ravensahn, George man, Bila_Karl, Minnie Merkel, Sallie Hasson, Lizie Owens, Beetha Herman, Maric Mellon, Bllie Sulmon, Eilie Pflum, Kate Hepler, Mary Cunnius, ' Mary Evans, Eic Ebright, Howard and Anuie’ Bricke Annie Fry, and many others whose nam cannot bo ascertained in the confusion to- night. August E. Roscup was the foreman of the first und second floors of the silk mill. A re- porter interviewed him, and his statement is as follow *It was about twenty minutes pas when 1went to the second story to turn on the electric lights. After 1did this I stood look- ing about the room for about ten minutes. Suddenly I heard a loud rushing noise which 1 thought was a cyclone. The building then shook. | was standing in the southern end of the room, and before I could look out of the window I felt the build- ing sink. Quick as lightning the portion_of the room I was in went dowa, and - the g rashed about me erying, screaming ing for help. Thoy did not realize what was taking place. It seemed to me as if the cen- ter of the building was struck first. I can- not describe the sccne. It twas awful. 1 could not do auything and could not think of what I should do. Our end of the build- ing went down first, and wile the floor was sinking it soemed to me s if the girls in the other part of the room were on the top of a hill. "Chat was the way it impressed me. While we were going down I saw other portions of the floor fall. In a minute it was ovor. Tho sereaming of the girls was heartrending. 1 was knocked down under the heavy tumbers and held fast by my foot. Icould move every other partof my body excopt my log. I reached down with my knife and got the shoo off my foot. In this way I became loosencd and managed to arise, Amid the sereams of the wirls and the falling of the beams and bricks Usuceceded in cscaping. 1 got out of the ruins on the eastera side of the buildini, but how L do nob kuow. 1 ealled to the girls as loudly as T could. They were all terribly excited and I never witnessed anything awful in all my life, Many of them heard me and worked themselves towards me. At some places it seemed as if the floor was closed asaslid mass and the girls would creep around this and_crawl over the machines and creep on their hands and knees until they got to the opening whero Iwas. Tho machines saved many from beiug crushed to death, as itleft a space between the floor and the debris to crawl out. 1 believe that fully 100 persons escapod with me. I remember secing them run across the commons iu different directions to their homes. A Pittsburg Horror. Prrrsounc, Jan, 9.—A terrific storm of wind and hail, the worst known for years, swept over this city shortly after noon to- day, earrying with it death and destruction, The storm was formed with a suddenness that was overwhelming, and as the wind, accompanied by hail and torronts of rai swept along the streets, pedestrians we hurled before it and barely escapod being crushed under the vehicles passing along the thoroughfare. Suddenly, in the center of the city, there was a terrible crash, and iv was found that the cyclone had caught a new building on Diamond strect, near Weed, owned by C. L. Wiley, and hurled it to the carth, covering up 'two score of mangled buman bodies, The building was in course of erection, It was 40 by 80 feet in dimensions, and was seven storics high. The front of the buildiug had not yet been put in, and the wind secmed to enter the high shell from the open end. The high walls of bricks and un- dried mortar were parted, one falling each way, partly wrecking nearly u dozen of the surrounding buildin, ‘The crushed build- ing was thrown against Weldin & Co.'s store, on Wood street, and the barber shop of Fred Schumaker, at No, 41 Diamond street. The rear end'of Weldin's store was crushed in and the front of the building was forced out into Wood street. The barber shop was completely demolished. A leather store next to the Wiley builkling, occupied by W. H. Thomas, was also totally wrecked. The rear end of Watt & Co.’s book store was crushed in, while some of the falling struc- ture struck Joseph Richbaum’'s buildings fronting on I'ifth avenue, breaking the windows and ibjuring a number of e ployes, ‘‘Some ran away a short distance and then returned w the ruins. The entire building was down, The girls came back to logk for their brothers or sisters or friends. We could hear the moans and shricks of those imprisoned in the ruins. The raiu was pouring down and all was dark I was badly bruised about the body, head and limbs, and went home after I saw that L ocould do nothing. Between two hundred and fifty and three hundred operatives were in the building. About 4 o'clock I allowed sixteen girls to go home. All the floors were in operation. The report that 100 went home at 4 o'clock, is not true.’ George Urimshaw, Jr., one of the propri- etors of the mill, was up stairs writing lot- ter and went dowan with the wreck. He was badly hurt about the back and limbs and sus- tained o gash on the hand. Joln Reber, en- gineer of the silk mill, is unother of the killed. His head was cut clean off as if with @ sword, A portion of the wall of the wmillinery store next to Thomas' store was caved in, and the ows and doors in a number of surround ing buildings were broken, The building of Rea Bros & Co., stock brokers, en the corner of Diamond and Wood streets, was partiy wrecked and the occupants barely escaped Within five minutes after the collapse of the building the strects were filled with an_ex- cited crowd, notwithstanding the fact that the rain and hail was pouring down in a perfect deluge. With the arrival of the fire- ment the work of rescue was begun. Lad- ders were run up to the second story of the Weldin building, and the first one taken out was a young lady employed as a type writer, who fortunately had escaped se rious injury. At the ime of the disast about twenty men were at work on the building and not one escaped injury. In the barber shop next door, seven men were imprisoned, while half a dozen more were buried beneath the debris of the Weldin building. The hospitals were notified and a short time after the clang of ambulance bells and patrol wagons was heard. The contractors had twenty-five wagons and _caats on the ne inside of an hour, and private ex pressmen were on hand with their wagons and lent aid in helping to rescue the vietims, In the meantime the crowd continued 1o increase until finally it was found necessary to call out the police and have the streots cleared for a square both ways. The streots were roped in and no one was allowed adont the ruins but those assist- ing i the reseur. Work was continued all the afternoon, and at 10 o'clock to-night a number of persons were known to be still underneath the debris. Up to that hour forty mangled and vruised bodies had been taken from the ruins, Some were dead, others dying, and many were fatally injured. It is believed that the list of dead will bo tly increased before morning, — Of eight only two have been identified so far. One was 4 little girl named MeGlone, who wae walking along the street with her brother when the building fell, and the two were buried in the wreck. The little girl was killed instantly and her brother fatally injured. The body of George Kirsch, the barber, was found in the cellar of the barber shop. Five nuknown men and one boy are now at the morgue waiting identification. Dr. J L. Reed, a prominent physician of Alle gheny, was in Weldin's at the time and is still missing, 1t is feared that he is dead. The following is a list of the wounded re- ceived up 1o 10 o'elock tonight: Daniel Courtney, Eugene i, Davis, Charles H. Pottitord, Weldon S, Mason, Alice Curte, John Rodout, Bernard O'Connol Frank Bussett, Thomas Lemon A. McCurdy, James Watt, Michael Ryan, John Donnelly, 'Heury I 3 ar K Swith, Martin Halloran, Willam Springer, Johu Goehring, Owen’ Dounelly, W. W. MeKeown, George Scott. J. K. Melvin, Thomas McKee, Blmer McGowan, Georgo Mason, William Baker, Morris Vine, George Thrisbler, Samuel Brown, » ius Messmer, Bartley Cooley, Stringer, Willic Metlone, It is impossible as yet to say these will die, but it”is feared that the ma- jority of them will be unable to survive their wounds, Rev. Pather Cavern, who was helping to rescue the victims, narrowly es- caped being killed by a falling wall. It 18 almost impossible to-night to give an imate of the pecuniary damages, but th will probably be §73,000 or £100,000 in the 1n- mediate vicinity of the wrecked building. The cyclone wronght terrible destruction in other parts of the city and out along the railroads centering here. A por tion of the foundry of Meclntosn, Hemphill & Co., on Thirteenth street, was wrecked, a8’ was ‘also a housein Alle gheny. At Wall's stution on the Pennsyl- ania railroad, a large brick building owned by the Westinghouse Air Brake company vas partially demolishied, and at Wilmer- Pa., a coal tipple was wrecked. At McKeesport houses were unroofed, trees blown down and windows smashed. Three houses in the course of erection were blown to picces On the river a number of boats were torn from their moorings and cast about like corks, but they were secured before much damagze was done. The velocity of the wind was fifty miles an hour, the highest record for years. It is still blowing hard to-night, but is growing colder and the weather is clearing. Later.—The listof dead identiticd up to 11 o'clock was as follows: SAMUEL STRINGER, aged sixteen years, printer. TroyAs Joxgs, bricklayer. CnanLes Friten, aged sixteen years, GronGE Maso, carpenter A colored boy named Texare, boot black. Gronar Kigscm, barber, aged eightecn. The little girl McGlone is not dead, as previously stated, but is in & serious condi- tion. ‘The remains of one identified. T'he inspector of police stated to-night that he was of the opimion that from fiftecn to twenty persons are yet in the ruins, and he would not be surprised if the death list in- creased to fifteen or twenty Up 0 midnight no more victims have been rescued. At 6:43 this evening, the voice of a boy named Gottman was heard, but the rescuers could not rescue him. At'12 o'clock however, he had not been rcached, and no sound could be heard, and it is feared that he has died of ' exhaustion, ‘'he body of a colored boy was taken out of the ruins about 11 o'clock. Ho was terribly crushed, and his entrails’ were protruding. A number of narrow escapes were reported. Seven men were thrown from the seventh story to the ground, and escaped with slight Alfred Lambart, w many of man have not been injuries. 1t Lias just been learned that the nut fac- tory owned by Bontreger & Co., in the Seventeenth ward, was blown down during the storm, and a man named Hines killed. Forty members of the Carpenters’ union volunteered their services to-night and are at work trying to save their unfortunute brethren. —— FLEECED THE RAILROAD. One of the Northwestern's Clerks Ab- sconds With Cash, Ciicaco, Jan, 9.=The News says that Henry D. Schall, assistant cashier in the paymaster’s oftice of the Chicago & North western railway company, has left the city with $11,500 of the company’s funds and the Clerks' and Mer- and Loan association, of was treasurer, Schall is about 3 and is said to have man of good habits, but with a taste for soviety and good clothes, and it is thought Lis expenses excceded his salary. Small amounts are supposed to have been taken by him from the company’s funds until they reached a sum which he found it impossibie to replace and it became necessary for bhim to leave before beifig exposcd. It is now said that young Schall’s defalca- tion will reack $30,000. Three days clapsed from the time of the theft ull its’ discovery, and it is believed that the defaulter made good his escape, 500 belonging to chants’ Building he which - Nebraska and lowa P WasmINGTON, Jan. 9,—[Special Telegram to Tne Bee.]—Pensions granted Nebras kans: Original invalid — Josiah Sadler, Springview; James Fisher, Benkleman, In crease—Walter 8. Primmer, Coleridge; James Neary, Decatur;’ John E. Turner, Bancroft. Relssue—Johu W. Andrews, Geneva. Reissue and increase—John Pal- lister, Nebraska City, Pensions for Towans: Original invalid— Matson Mowder, Coon Rapids; Sylveste Thomas, Newmarket; Zacharish Blac Keokuk; Charles D. Haszard, Gravit. In- crease—Henry Ackerman, Grant; John M. Shaw, Bloomfield; Willlam 13, Hobson, Glenwood: Josiah Goodall, Agency; Porry Hinzman, Centervilie; Andrew J. Cratzen- berg, Burr Oak; Perry Myrick, Woodward ; James M. Metts, Mount Pleasant. Reissuo ~Clarence C. Vanderpool, West Mitchell; Isaac N. Covington, Burk: Jumes B. Diver, Keokuk; Jobn W. Ward, Burlington} Charles ' H. Hunter, Muscatine., Reissue and increase—Samuel Penick, Norwood. nsion Decided to Re-elect Plamb, Toreka, Kan,, Jan. 9,~At fhe repulican caucus to-night it was unaniously agreed to ro-elect Senator Plumb. OMAHA. THURSDAY WEAVER IS STILL DEFIANT. His Filibustering Tactics Compels the House to Adjourn. A PARDON ASKED FOR SWAIM. Wil Grant As It is Thought Cleveland it—Spooner Denies Cabinet pirations porters Op pose Blaine, WasmixaToN Bukiau Tias OXama Bes, | 513 FounTeRN TR STRRET, WASIHINGTON, Jan, 9. ) General Weaver, of 1owa, ruled the house again to-day. He continued his filibustering tactics till the house was compelled to ad journ. ‘The general proclaimed this after. noon that he had no idea of abandoning his position, and that he intends to continue to oppose every measure until quarter is given the Oklahoma bill. His frieuds say, how- ever, that he will not oppose the appropria- tion bills, but that the result of what he has already done will be to defeat all legislation of consequence except the regular appropri ation bills, There is no possibility of eithe the Oklahoma or the Pacific funding bill re- ceiving final action at the hands of this con- gress, and the efforts of General Weaver to force action on the Oklahoma biil, will prove of no avail, with about 14,000 bills pending in the two houses, many of which are of great importance to the country. 1t is believed that the longer the tactics of the filibusterers continue, the greater will become the necessity for an extraordinary session of the Fifty-first congress, The work of the regular appropriation bills is greatly behind already, only three of the fourteen having passod the house. Two or three of the bills will not reach the house for com mittee until the end of this month. So that should the dead-lock be broken at any time, there will be little opportunity for any thing else than appropriations to receive con sideration. The tarift and territoriul state hood bills would not have any opportunity for hearing, a fair chance or a final vote even, should they come up be the house, as the appropriation bills would consume the remaining time. ‘This_evening's Star says of the attitude of the republicans toward the deadlock. The extra sessian sentiment is very strong_among the republicans. They expect the Fifty-tirst congress to be called together in Aprilor May, anyhow, but if they could charge the responsibility ‘on this house it would be made more cusy for them. This fact, together with the general fecling of disgust on the part of Mr. Reed and his associates, at the failure of the com- mittee on resolutions, will be caleulated to malke them anything but anxious to lelp the democratic party out of the dificulty. If t parly suffers from the minority power 2l ided to uphold, Mr. Reed will not feel it his duty to come to their relief. 1f an extra session is made necessary by fili bustering it will cause him no concern, PLEADING FOR SWAIM. A An effort is being mado to have President Cleveland pardon Judge Advocate General Swaim, of the army. General Swaim was about three years ago suspended for twelve years on half pay after a court martial trial, which found him guilty of ‘“‘conduct unbe- comng an officer and & gentleman” in con- nection with his flnanoial transactious in pri- vate life. At the end of the sentence Gen- eral Swaim would be over sixty-two years old, the retiring age, and hence he cannot resume his official duties without a pardon. s friends contend that his conviction by court martial was not warranted, but laying aside this, the curious state of affairs caused by his suspension, which permits of no one being appointed 'to the judge advocate generalship of the army, ‘and yet leaves that position unoceupied, requires that some- thing shouid be done in the matter. If Gen- eral Swuim contiuues under sentence for the full term of twelve_years the oftice must be vacant that long. Several conferences have been held with the president on the subject, Senator Voorhees, Judge Montgomery and Representatives Butterworth and Grosvenor of Ohio have had a long talk with the pi dent, and though he gave them no assur- ances of any sort, they hope that he will grant the pardon. 1t is thought that the pardon will be ted and that Geueral Swaim will then be retired and an appoint- ment made to the position of judge advocate general 0 CABINET FOR SPOONER, Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, this after- noon put a quietus on further use of his name in connection with General Harrison's cabinet, by saying: have never for a moment entertained the thought of leaving the senate for any other position. I have ot desired, nor do I expect to be called upon to consider any such change. 1 have said_all 1 could decently say in support of the desire of the republicans of Wisconsin for representation in the cabinet, but if any- one is appointed form that state it will not be L OPPOSITION TO BLAINE, Mr. Phelps and Mr. Blaine inspected thoir new apartments in the Normandy to-day, and found all things in readiness for occu- pan by the time of the arrival of the Blaine family to-morrow. Mrs. Blaine was unable 10 start on Monday, as_contemplated, She was to leave Augusta this afternoon, accom- panied by Walker and James G, Islaine, jr. This cvening's Star has the following among its cabinet gossip: *‘It was a current rumor around the capitol to-day that an op- position to Mr. Blaine as a cabi- net officer has arisen. It came from among the New York importers and the capitalists wio have forcign inter- ests, These are the same men who in 1584 openiy voted for Cleveland because they disapproved of Blaine's South American pol- claim that the prescnce of Blaine hinet, s secretary of state, would unsottle business to a very considerable ex- tent. General Hareison has, it is said, been informed of this opposition, and when Sena- tor Hiscock wus in_Indianapolis they talked the matter over. The Boston and Philadel phia importers are said to have joined hands with their New York brethren in the en- aeavor to put Blaine out of General Harri- son’s political family.” . ABOUT ARMY RETIREME The bill allowing aun eulisted man aft thirty rs’ honorable service to be rotir on pay, scems now to meet with objections. 1t is claimed by, some that a large number are kolding on for votirement who are in- capable of doing all the duty required of a soldier. Some of these having now only ten 10 fteen years' service, will under the law be kept fifteen years longer if they so elect, and at the samé time give no return 1o the government, If this number is large now, it will go on increasing from year to year, and the army will be com posed of a large proportion of men unfit for a soldier's duty, and will be far from an active army, asit should be. To remedy this, the law should be amended, allowing retirement after twenty years' ice, pro viding the man after all” this time does his duty, and no re-cnlistment of any soldier should be allowed unless heis perfectly sound in every particular. Captains like to keep them, as they are good, orderly men, many being mechanics, and thus save them trouble, but it is a serious question whether such men, who are awkward in drilling, can not marcl, or shoot, from defegtive eyes, should form an active army. Soldiers, and only the most sound, energetic ones should wey. The, in'the c be accepted in the service, or retained MUTILATED CURKENCY TILEVES, One of the first reforms under the new ad ministration will be in the redemption and cancellation divisions of the treasurer's of- fce, The recont thefts of mutilated notes © cast general suspicion on nearly the en tire force of these two divisions, ~Shrewd deteotiyes have for weeks been at work to trace the combination which has undoubtedly existed for some time among the employes of * the treasurer's efice, by which large and small sums of mutilated and cancelled Lreas- nry and bank notes have been stolen, put into MORNING JANUARY 10, 18%0. shape and circulated, While there are un doubtedly honest and eMicient clerks con nected with the branches of the treasury de. partment where bank and treasury notes arc handied, both in the oustet of circulation and in the return and cancellation of the notes, there are undoubtedly & num ber of rascals employed there. For the purpose of ascertaining who are thieves and who are honest men and women, some in- justices will bo worked, on the same princi ple that a bell-punch is necessary on a street car in order to guard against dishonest men, and spotters are used to trace distionest railroad conductors who are located among the honest ones. 1t will be remembered that Mr. Sparks, recently commissioner of tho goneral land _ofice, held up nearly all of the land entries made n the country till he could nscertamn if there ~ were fraudulent entries made. The treasury officials are extremely reticent concerning the discoveries of depredations in the redemption division. There is a well dofined fear that the beginning has only just been discovered, and that there are hundreas of notes still in circulation which have been heretofore redecmed in the department and ordered destroyed. A week ago the first public notice of the discovery of such notes was made, Then it was reported that a $20 bill, which had two or more circular holes ‘about half an inch in diam oter puucned in it and the corner of which had been chipped, had been carcfully repaived, and had found its way back to the treasury. On Wednesday a local bank notified the department that its receiv ing teller had cashed u 10 note which had passed through a similar process, The cashier of the treasury when asked about it said that no clue had boen discovered to the perpetrators of the fraud, and he further ex pressed his belief that the thief would never be discovered. 1t is thought by someof the people in the wsury department that the patehed notes the work of Mrs. Ernestine Bocker, now under indictment for. abstracting re- deomed notes from the redemption division. This may be the case, but it would scem to those who know anything of the methods which prevail in the redemption di vision, that more than one persen has been engaged in the work. Bunches of notes, usually n hundred in a bunch, after having been countod and © ited to the bank sending them in, are placed in a machine which cuts off one corner; they re then sent to a second room, counted again, and another corner eut off. Then they #o to u third oficial, whose clerks once more count, them and certify to the count, and then places them in a machine which punches out two eircular holes about half an inch in diameter. They then go to the mas tng room in the treasury buiiding or i the bureau of engraving und print ing, according to whether they are National bank notes or United States greenbacks. They are again counted and the count is cer- tificd once more, They are then ground into pulp and the pulp sold to a concern which makes @ peculiar kind of card board out of them; the distinctive character of the paper giving the pulp a peculiar value for toughness. e 1t will bescen by glancing at this descrip- tion of the method prevailing that it is ex ceedingly difiiclut for any one person to gather together all the picces necessary to make up a mote after it has passed through the four different processes before it reaches the mascerator, and if Mrs, Becker is guilty of preparing these fragmentary picees of cur- rency for cirenlation she must certainly have had some one who could supply her with the smaller portions, and it would seem as if there was collusion on the part of the com- mittee whose duty it is to watch the mascer- ating process, or the curtailed sheet could not get out of the possession of the depart- ment. 1t is also evident that the crime once successfully inaugurated could be covered so carefully that the most skiilful detectives would never be able to trace 1t to the perpe- trators, who being waried as they must be of the discovery would be upon their guard against detection. Tvis a singular fact, in this counection, that almost every gang of counterfeiters who have undertaken to duplicate the govern ment’s obligations have been run to carth, Scarcely a month passes that some new note or coin is not found to have been countel fened and distributed, and in almost cvery instance, so far as known, the ‘‘duffers” have been captured, There is one man, how- ever, who is a genius. He cvidently works alone, and he works successfuily. Instead of constructing an elaborate sct of dies and plates this mau uses simply a pen and a few bottles of ink. e doesn’t even go to the trouble of trying to imitate the distinctive paper. With his pen and his various colored inis he has from time to time drawn very wood imitations of £20 bills, and what is more curious, he has succeded in passing them, There are several of tieso spurious twenties in the counteeit room of the treasury de- partment to-day, but not the faintest clue to the expert penman has yet been discovered, nor has it been learned from what section of the country his specimens, of penmansnip have first emanated. WHEN THE FIGHT WILL COME, “I am nclined to think,” said Congre man Farquhar this afternoon, ‘that the great fight of the session will come wheh the discussion on the sundry civil appropria- tion bill begins, I have been looking over the provisions of the measure as reported by the committees, and I find that Mr, Randall and his associates have framed it 5o as to be’| a8 embarrassing to the incoming adminis- tration as possible. They have curtailed the force of employes in several instances, and in spite of the fuct that the period covered by the appropriation embraces the coming long session of congress, The amounts ap- propriated for printing, for wmstance, arc the same as those appropriated in the last bill, which covers only the short session now on, Mr. Randall has fortified his bill with an ap- pendix designed to cover ull questions that may be raised. This appendix contains the reasons for the reductions given by the dem- ocratic officials now in control of the affairs of the government. They will hardly be suf- ficient, and although the republicans in the senate will make necessary incroases, the ro- publicans n the house will searcely permit this old game to be played without a vigor- ous protest.” MISCELLANEOUS Dakota's next governor, Hon. M. H. Day, the well known Dakota democrat, arrived here to-day and will remain some 'tim fore proceeding to his home at Rapid City, will help the workers for division and hood. Mr, Day says Governor-clect otte, of Watertown, one of the most popu- publicans in the territory, will un- doubtedly be appointed governor by Presi- dent-glect Harrison. Mr, Mellette is a native Hoosicr, and has known General Harrison personally a quarter of a century. H. J. Philpot, of Towa, hus_be a special agent in the land ofic Representative Conger to-day introduced J. M. Eppstein, of Towa, to President Cleve- lund. They were then shown through tho white house. General A. H. Bowen,of Hastings, a “Po-morrow he will argue the vs Bailey before the supr This case involves appointed ved my court. 23,000 worth of real estate near Hastings, General Bowen and Hon, John M. Thurs- ton were together at the capitol for awhile this afternoon. A postofiicc has been cstablished at Sawyer, Fillmore county, N uska, aud Gusty K. Outh appointed postmaster, e site of the postofiice at. Adaton, Sheri- dan county, Nebraska, has been moved thr quarters of & mile Lo the northeast. Peiny S, Hearn —— Chicago Packers Ave Worried, CnicaGo, Jan, 9.—The directors of the board of trade met to-day and resolved by a unanimous vote to make a formal complaint to the inter-state comin commission against the railroads operating between the Missouri river and Chicago. The charge is that the rates on packing house products and 8 which went iuto effect January 1, inated ugainst the packing interests ago by enabling their competitors at packing poiuts to transport their manufactured product to Chicago at & rate mach lower than the packers of Chicago are compelled to pay for their raw material (live hogs). The resolution has been placed in the Lands of the attorney of the board with orders that a petition to the inter-state com. werce commission be formulated at ouce, of Chi western A BRILLIANT AFFALR, The Reception to Joscph Chamberlain and His American Wife, [Copyright 1888 by James Gor Beanott,) Loxvox, Jan, 9. New Herald Cable ~Special to Tne Beg.] - Birmingham was en fete last night. Thousands of brawny constituents of Joseph Chamberlain met with Lis aristocratic social acquaintances to give a right ood English welcome to his charm ing American bride. The town hall, where the reception took place, was not half large enough to accommodate those who sougnt admission. The floor was spread with ear. pets and rugs. The gallery rails were orna mented along the whole length with trophies of ferns and evorgreens, relicved by red and white blossoms at intervals. There was a superb display of .occhids, Chamberlain's favorito flower. The party from Highbury, Chamberlain's wntry seat, was composed of Mr. and Mrs, Chamberiain, Austin Chamberlain, 3 Chamborlain, Misses Chamberlain, Mandeville and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards The oride and bridegroom were received with loud cheering as they walked up the floor of the hall towards the platform, and these chcers were redoubled, when ' the SWedding Mareh” poaled forth’ from the or. gan. Subsequently the party ascended the platform, where Mrs, Chamberlain had sev eral times to acknowledge the plaudits of the assemblage, Mrs. Chamborlain wore pink satin, with ribbons of the same materiai and color, The ornaments were diamonds and sapphires he chair was tal C. I3 Matthews, who was supported by R. Chamberlain, Jesse Collin William - H. Higgins and T K. Spencer. The 1an presented n _ address fro the citizens, The ladies’ memorial and gift were presented by Mrs, Stronger, and those from Chamberlain’s constitueney’ by Mes. Smith Lhe chiof gift was from the citizens of Birmingham, who presented a necklace of riental pearis clasped with luree diamond I'ne women's prescut was i six-jointed star to be used as a brooch or hairpin, composed of fifty-five diamonds of the finest quality, the center stone weighing 8§ carats, The third gift was from Cl eluin’s friends in West - Bivmingnam, and _consis brooch, collar and braceiots in g work m - the sam» churacter ten years ago by the princess of Wales fr a number of samples of Birmingham work nitted to her. [u addition to the prosents, smmittee had propared an address. from the citizens of Biraiingham ac ompanying the pearls referred especially to Chamberiain's conduct of the fisheries negotiations in_ Amer nd - expressed the opinion that it was owing to no fault of the gentleman that the agreement arvived at hud not been ratified ate. Other addresses mentagy in character, and fully ilfuminated. Among th which they were adorned wor berlain_crest, Mrs. gram, and adaisy,” which is been introduced into Maryland by the cott family. Mr. Chamberlain delivered a long address, in which he said that Mrs. Chamberlum asked him to say that she fully recognized the warmth of “welcome extended to hers was fully prepared to take up life in _ her’ mew countr mall its fullness, saying, as Ruth of old: *Thy people shall be my’ people.” In speaking of his recent diplomatic errand to Washington, he said he entered intothe mission, both in a public and private spirit, and aid his best to promote the union. (Laughter.] He was fortunate enough to make the treaties, and even the United. States senate could say nothing against his private negotiation. Aftera personal recaption, the Chambor- lnin party and invited guests returned to Hignbury, where a dinuer was given. by the Amgrican son were entirely compli all were beauti- deviees with the C) e GOVERNOR CHURCOH'S MESSAGE. Striking Recommendations Regard- ing the Taxing of Corporations. Bisvanck, Dak., Jan, 0.—[Special Tele gram to Tk Bee.|—Most of the time in the Dakota legislature to-day was consumed by Governor Chureh in reading his message. He makes many recommendations of a strilc- ing character regarding the taxing of cor porations. He recommends an ineome tax, and a tax on all stock companies domg busi- ness in the territory, He treats at length of the question of taxing the property of rail- roads, especially the lands of the Northern Pacific, which comprise all unsold land in a strip forty miles wide across the entire territory, rly 400 miles. Ho de manded th the lands be taxed some time ago, and his action has been sus- tained by a decision in the district court. "The event of the day in the house was the for North ing of a constitutional convention Dakota, to be held at Fargo in May. All members ave agreed on the propricty of holding the convention, but there will be a lively fight on_the location. A memorial to congry ving for immediate action look- ing toward the admission of Dalkota was passed by the joint session amid great ap plause. The memorial will bo forwarded to Congressman Springer and other members of the committee on territories. m s, SewixarieLy, 1lL, Jan, 9.—Promptly at noon to-day the thirty-sixth general assem- Vly of Iilinois convened. Long before the hour of meeting the galleries and lobbies of both houses were crowded by a throug of eople, w Manisox, Wis., Jan. legislature met at noon to-day. clected T, B, Mills speaker. The governor’ message will be read to a joint meeting of both houses to-morrow afternoon. nsin. —Both houses of the The house - HONORED OLD HICKORY, California’s Bourbon Legislators Re- iber the Batie of New Orleans. Sacuamexto, Cal,, Jan. 8.--Both branches of the state legislature organized to-day, the democrats securing all the offices and having a working majority in the two houses, only contest was between *“Boss” Buckle, San Francisco, and the country me but Buckley bagged the lion's s fat positions. Stephen White, who was tem- porary chairman of the St.’ Louis national convention, was elected president of the sen- ate, and Iobert Howe speaker of the house, Both houses adjourned after organization in houor of the battle of New Orleaus. - - Colorado Farmers Draft Petitions. HoLyoke, Colo., Jan. 9. —[Special to Tuz Ber.|—The farmers held a mass meeting lere to-day and drafted petitions to circulate for signers, vraying that the legislative body, now in session at Denver, 8 an option of the herd law, and reduce the 2 and fees of county i nev officers 50 per cent. - - The Weather Indications. For Nebraska and Dakota: Light local snows, slightly warmer weather, variable winds, ‘or Towa: Cienerally fair weather, slightly colder in castern sart, nearly stationary tom- POrature in western portions, winds' vari able - Marricd an Imprisoned Felon. NEwAnk, N. J., Jan. 9. —Edward F. Hon- eywood, son of Lady Honeywood, of Lon don, who was sentenced to two years in the state prison in the court of special ses slons yesterday, was married to Miss Miunie A. Ayres at the county jailto-night. Honey: wood will be taken to Trenton this week. - Gaudaur Issues a Challenge St Louss, Jan. 0.—Jucob Gaudaur, ex- champion oarsman, has issued a challenge to William O'Connor of Toronto, to row o three-mile race, with tura, for $1,000 a sid and the championship of America, the race 10 take place either in New Orleans, Galves. ton or San Francisco, on or about March 1, UMBER 210 A MURDERER RUN T0 EARTH; He is Oaptured While Driving ayg Omaha Delivery Wagon, BY A LETTER TO HIS MOTHER, A Young Texan Who Had Success fully Evaded Treaps For Two Months is Discovered at Last. tun Down. W. 1. Bohannan, an escaped conviet from the penitentiary at RRusk, Texas, and wha life sentence for murdering his wce Knox, was caught by Officon fter 12 o'clock yesterdny, At tho time of his capture he was driving ¢ delivery wagon for Robert Major's grocery 519 South Thirteenth street, and w? ding under the name of Jim Wheats only twenty-three yea of age, but ha Leen 1 the penitentiary already soven vears, having boen sentenced when ho wag only sixteen years of age. The murder wag committed on his mothor's ranch, fourteen miles from Richmond, Fort Wayne county, Toxas, aud the murdered man was in_the employ of his mother at the time, drivia cattle. The vietim's name was Leo Kno and he suspeeted and accused young Bohannan of criminal intimacy with Mrs. Knox. his wife, Hot words cnsued between the two and Knox was observed to lay lis hand of his six shoote Bohannan anticipated his was under hired man, 1 Dempsey shortly stor masqu Hohannan is purpose and beforo KKuox _could get his weapon up, the youag Don_ Juan jerked his revolver from his belt and emps tiod one of the chambers in Knox' breast. Knox died instantly, Bohannon buried the body, but the murder loaked out and ho was arrésted. He plead self-defense, but was sentenced for life at hurd labor in the penitentiary, His mother spent thousands of dollars o her attempt to muted, but have the seatence of ler boy ¢ tono purpose. Finally, after seven years of young Bohainan smuggled tools Nis" cell and cut his way through the roof. He dropped from the roof to the ground without injury, wnd the seatry being asleep at his post Bot hannan managed to eseape without being shot at 1e then made his way to Omaha and got a b with Robert Major, driving a grocery de- v wagon, and has been holding this joby for the last three months, Through a lotter written by Bohannon to his mother the sheriff of Fort Wayno county learacd that th Young conviet was 1 Omaha, and stimulated by the $100 reward offered, caine hore aftor bio. He made known his mission to Cap- tain Cormack, and Oficer Dempsey was de: tailed to make the arrest. 1ol no attompt to get away, but crestfullen over his capture. ile hi 10 return withoun requisition paje - - M. VICTORIEN SARDOU. What He Has to say O New Plays, [Copyright 1589 by Jan Panis, Jun. 9.—[New Special to Tur very pleasy ant chat yester ardou, who is having a very busy time just now withh his two new plays that will be produced this season. “Marquis,” the bright little threes act comedy now being rehearsed at the Vaus deville, is very gay and lively. 1t is written sidedly ed cerni & Nis Gordon York Bennett.) Herald Cable very much in the style of “‘Divoreous.” I{ is a story of a very rich, very frisky young lady of - artistic proelivitics who married a broken-down old marquis solely for b title. The couple have a very lively time of 1t, indeed, and Sardou told me that Ameriean young ladies who come to marry titles will find moral in the “Marquis” of a rather ||i:|uull? nature 1 asked ¢ had pur new pl Comedy Francaise. ‘“Yes,” replied Sardou, “Mr. Daly hag bought these plays, but it is not yet certain whether the second play will be prodnced at, the Comedic Francaise rather than at thq Gymnase or at the Vandeville,” “Mons and Godchaux are supposed in America to have a monopoly of the disposak of all your plays. Is tnis so!" “No, 10t a bit of it,” replic 0 one has anv monopoly of “Are not Mons and G sentatives in America “Why, no, not thatall,”” said M. Sardou, 1 retain the power of disposing of all my plays as I choose, ‘except, of course, thosa that I huve ceded to Mr. Daly.” ardou if it was true that Mr, Daly 1the “Marquis” and also tha that is to be produced ut thg M. ny play dehaux your repros Sardou, e Kilrain Makes a Kick. Youk, Jan. 9 —|Special Telogram to Tug Bee.|—Kilrain s already quibbling again, and the sports are not lacking who say he don’t want to fight Sullivan, except with his mouth, He is now finding fault bes , as he alleges, the terms of the articlog are oo favorable to Sullivan, and not knows ing what else to make specific objection to, objects to the proviso that the referoe is be chosen at the ring. Sullivan, when show, the interview containing IKilvain's “kick,' smiled grimly and said, in_characteristid language: “He's a monkey. Who ever heard of a first-class fight where the referce was not sclected av the ringt However, I'm not doing any talking after the fight,” now. Come and seo mg - West Virzinia Republica Cuanceston, W, V Jan, 0. —In the cirs cuit court this morning Judge Guthrig quashed the rule awarded against the county court o show cause why it should not be fined and attached for contempt in forwardd ing certificates of clection in this county for governor and congressman in violation of the injunction which was granted by Judge ° McGinnis of th Cabell circuit court. He also dismissed th, bill of mjunction and certiorar heretotors awarded. This a complete victory for tha republicans and gives Goff and McGinau both republicans, a clear plurality in the facg s Vietoric of the returns for governor and congress, - - A Big Stor CiicaGo, Jan. 9.—A flurry of wet snow, melting as it fell, began here about 8 o'clock this morning, and at noon continues with ine creasing severity, The signal sarvice weather mups for the day shows that Chicagd fe at the center of au exe tremely wide aren of low barometer, extended in eular circular shape from York and from the northern shore of Lake Superior to Kuoxville, Tenn, ‘The barometer heve marks 2595 inches, the lowest ou record for tuis point. The tempors ature here is two degrees above the freezin, point and the wind is blowing at the rate o ily cight miles per hour. It is snowing od aining throughout this arca of low barometer, and as a cons nee telographi communication is much interfored with. Id wave with a blizzard accompaniment i orted a8 having developed in the north west and is now sweeping across Montang id Dakota. It is expected to muke itsel felv here within the next twenty-four hours, - - Mrs. Cutting Seriously 111, | Copirtaht 1559 by Jam:s Gordon Bennzte.) Iose, Jan, .- |New York Herald Cabla Special to Tuk Brel -Mrs, Robert 8, Cutting, jr., has been seriously ill for six ks with spiual meningitis at Rowe, the NervOus prostrating being excossive. Hep recovery is slow and painful. Sue will leaye Rome for Parls as soou as possible, Brewing,