Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 9, 1889, Page 1

— —————, EIGHTEENTR CALLS A HALT ON CRITICIS Commandant Hammond's Story of the Soldiers’ Homo Affair, STRUGGLING AGAINST BIG ODDS. He Asks That Judgment be Suspended Until a Full and Fair Inves tigation Can Be Made. The Soldicrs' Home, Lixcory, Neb., Feb, 8.—[Speeial to Tne Ber.) - Commandant Hammond, of the sol diers’ home, when asked about the stri upon the managoment of that institution, re sponded frankly, unreservedly, and with unmistakable air of sincerity I think 1 explain some matters,” ho said, *so that they will be placed before the public in a new light. 1 don’t mean to make astatement as a defense of my management, because that will have to stand on its merits, anyway; but Americaus adwire fair play and 1 want the Lome to have a fair show be. fore judgment is passed on it. The legisla tare of two yeurs appropriated 30,000, The present building cost £25,030, The board f public lands and buildings coneluded that the home could not be opencd until July, 1880, 1 had been appointed commandant was under salary, and had my heart in the work. 1 told the board that if they would back me up | would try to open the' institn tion in July, 1575, Linterviewed merchants in Grand Isiand and Omaba, got bids on furniture, bea clothing and other supblics, and got them to to wait for their pay until this legislature should muke an appro priation. [laid the matter hotore the board, and they said go ahead. The voard word able to delay payment on several building items, and [ had a fund of about work with. A part of that was neede supplics, teams, ete. Then came th rf employes and the balance w. ailuble for maintenance. We have cnough left to he employes next month, The public do not understand what a trial it has veen to keep the home woing, It has been a constant strain and mukeshift. For instance, one of our coal dealers refused to farnish coal longer on credit, and I iud to bez anothier one to help us out. 1t has been an unceasing strugio to make the little fund stretch over the gap 1o OUE Dext appropr tion. The old soldiers had to be fod and warmed, and we had to munage other matters as best we could. “Ihe hospital arrangements have been criticised. In the first place, the institution i8 a home, and not a hospital, But we took of the sick to the best of our abiiity. iad o use quarters in the howe because we had no ot place. We put four sick men in one room, because to separate them would have required hadu’t the moncey to hir Tw the men had discases that createil a ing stench, but if we had a hosvital their un- cleanliness and odor would not_have come to the notice of other inmates, We need a hos- pital, and that is one of the items that swells the appropriation we ask for. hat is a sample of the diflicultics we had to meet. Other state institutions arc oran- ized and have full treasuries, I have not only had the work of bringing system out of chios, but I have had a hand-to-mouth struggle to feed and warm my boys. 'Ihere i8 no board of control, and 1 hiave had no one with whom to_advise. tena to be infallible. There may men then I, but none with a heart more smcere in this work “There has been criticism of the site and the construction, but of course I am not re- sponsible for them. Nor am I to blawmo for sanitary defects in the way of sewers, though I think they can be remedied. As to supplics sent by the Woman's Relief Corps, thoy have all been enjoyed by the veterans, except some jellies, which are being reserved for the sick, - They are on our shelves and accounted for in the books. My family cat in the dining room with the soldicrs and have the samo fare as they. Speaking of criticisms, there is a visiting committee ap pointed by the governor. Applicants are ad mitted to'the home by me, subject to t proval of that committee, and yet they b thrown the blame upon me in several cas although they have the same the same evidence as 1. That's not fair, 18 it? “Among the items in the appr ask for is one of $17,500 for twenty-five cot- tages. I fear the state undertook a large contract when it decided to care for the de- pendent families of old soldiers. To do that properly we need cottuges. We already have applications from twenty-one families, and [ think we could fill sixty cottages during the pext two years, The inmates of the home now are ‘seventy-one men, four women and two children, 1f there is anything wrong in the management of the home I expect it will be criticised, but, as a matter of fair play, I think the public and the legislature ought to know some of the difiiculties we have had to deal with.” ——— Cutting Down Appropriation Lixcory, Neb., Feb. S.—Special to Tnm Bee.]—The soldiers’ home committees held a joiut meeting this afternoon to discuss the appropriation bill. They made a cut of about §5,000 in the items asked for wages and salaries. They considered about oue- half of the bill, and will undoubtedly make other reductions. The commandant sug- gests the cutting out of the §10,000 item for furniture, $5,000 for the commandant's resi- dence, all aggregating about $2),000. The committees will meet again next Tuesday. hor Indignant. 8.—~[Special to Tur o is annoyed by the criticisms upon the soldiers' home. He denies emphatically the statement that the building is located in a hoilow, aud quotes General Averill, of the national home, as saying that tho Nebraska iustitution is ono of the best of the kind in the United States, ‘The inmates are well fed, well clothed and Kept comfortably warm, hLo sa, Many live bettor than they did before, hie adds, and what wore can be asked ! Senate Laxcovy, Feb. 8.—(Special to Tne Bee.] — The morning session of the senute was largely consumed in routine work, during which everybody but the president and the sec tary read newspapers, and the only relief from dull monotony was a flurry of talk over the resolution of the committea on accounts secking to establish rulos for the allowauce of claims for committees visiting state insti- tutions. Chairman Taggart explaimed that the com- mittee were confronted with bills aggregut ing wbout §280 for trips to Kearnoy and Grand Island. Oune of whe items was for nineteen tickets to Kearney and return, and there wero only two members of the senate com mittee on the trip. Another item was for nine tickets to Grand Island, but only three senatorial committeemen were of the varty, These claims should bo paid by some one, but the committee did not care to shoulder the respousivility of allowing them. Tho resolution was intended to make the senate fix o rule for the guidance of the committee; n othur words, 1o fasten upon the senato as @ whole the responsibility of allowing or re- jecting the claims. Soveral gentlemen explained what little kuew about the management of the Rn oting trips, and the information was rown out that they were bossed by some one over iu the house. Several inquiries were made as to who ordered the nineteen tickets for two committeemen, but this branch of the investigation was not urged, and the mystory is as dense as ever. After a long talk Ransom offered a substi- tute resolution that no expense shall be in- curred for visiting committee, except on the certificate of its chairman. It was adopted with »n amendment by Coupvr, 2 the chairn expenses of members of the com Ransom's resolution is understood s ap: plying to the fature. It is assumed that the b or picnic parties to date will go, b the counts coint 1 hold another meeting and may app Ransom's rule to the bills ne before them, in which event e responsib will be thrown upon the Senator Lina says those trips cost the state The charge of 80 for a &pecial Pullman the nine person eted to Grand st sava 1 that the made at the critics think the excuse thin of the sey !y The judicia defin t aent for and Robinson bills, which purpose wiving the ballot to women in' municipal electi T'ho friends of the proposition 1after o short, sha skcirmish lel in hav z the put on the general file, the effcct of which s to bring them before the senate in duo time for discussion, I'he senate passed an important bill by yrval intended to aid the suppression of disturbances during strikes, Following is its toxt in full, “Whoever willfully throws or shoots a mis sile at a locomotive cngine, or railroad car, or street railway car, or at a person on such engin @ passenger or employe on such car, orin any way assaults or in s with a conductor, engineer, fireman or brake. man, or other cmploy o discharge of his duty on or near a ngine, car, or street railway car, shall be punished by a fine not exceedine 2100,0r by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding ninety days.” The bill creating Hooker county ~ was —put on third reading and passed; also a bill re linquishing penaitics on delinquent taxes levied on town lots n abandoned town sites. “The committee of the whole approved Nes- bitt's bill giving Tenth district two judges. Tt covers iifteen counties. AFTERNOON SESSION The vall was opened in’the committee of the whole by Ransom’s bill empowering county commissioners to improve streets within city and village limits, There was an un ted tlow of . Town and country wembers arened 3 ve locali ties with vim and p 5 & The bill was indefinitely postponed I'he committee up) ved a half dozen bills amending the laws governing counties under township organization, and the senate ad- journed. House. LivcoLw, Neb., I7ch. 8. ~[Spacial to Tne A larze number of reports from mmittees we represented. The following were vesommended for passage: A bill by Denman fixing fees of constables and court oficers i civil proceedure. A bill to p: Senator Hoar of Massachu rendered the state in the case of Morton azainst Nebraska in the supr ourt of the United States in regard to the title to certain lands, A bill relieving hotel keapers from respon- sibilities for loss of guests from their own rooms of certain kinds of property. A bill prohibiting any per ofiice of ju clerk, cour coroner or any county or townshin from practicing law within the county of their residence. A bill to empower loeal school boar1s to exclude pupils from the public schools who have not been vaceinated, Senate file 527, @ biil to define aud punish the crim { “unlawful assaults and threats,” was recommended for passage. A full list of al! persons in’ the employ of the house was presented by the committec on employes, and ordered printed. The house refesed to make a special order of Carbin's joint resolution pro viding for the submitting of an amendment to the stato constitution authorizing the investment of the permanent school funds in school district bonds, by plac- ing it at the head of the general bills on file The following bills were recommended for indefinitement postement, A bill by McMillon providing that the fecs of the county clerk and a nts in counties of 70,000 wiinitants and over, shall bo out of the gencral fund and all fees received by the clerk shall be turned over to the county. Garduer offered _the following resolution, which was adopted : Whereas, Thero has recently been an ex- plosion at the state msanc asylum resulting in loss of life and great damaga to property, therefore be it Resolved, That a committee of five be ap- pointed to act with a like committee from the scnate, to investigate tho causes of said ox- plosion and roport their findings to this house. The speaker named Messrs. Gardner, TTrenton, Johnson, Severin ai as said committe The house went into committee of the whole, and Corbin’s bill to provide for listing of property for purposes of taxation at its true cash value. After some sharp i mentary skirmishing, it was reporte with the recommendation that it do p & vOte of 55 10 18. Gilbert’s usury bill was then taken Mr. Gilbert defended the measure at length, and showed that an excess of over £2,000,000 is avnually wrung from the people by extortiorate ratesof interest. He thought this one of the most important measure: before the legislature, and that the bill or a similar measare was urgently demanded. aker opposed tho bill. He said such a © would throw & cloud on all prom- ¢ notes, us it makes all contracts at usurous rates absolutely void, and not merely voidable; also, that no honorable man in the state would'scek to take advan- tage of the usury act to avoid paying his just debts, and it would simply put a power in the hands of dishonest individuals to be used for blackmailing purposes. Pending the discussion on the question the house adjourned, AFTERNOON SESSION, A few bills were introduced, among them one by O'Brien, providing for'a reduction the number of justices of the peace in metro- politan cities The Punck bill to enable railroads to con- solidate was taken up for discussion as i sgecial order, d to refer the N to the committee on judiciary, Olmstead boped that the motion would not prevail Hall favored the motion made by Gilchrist, He thought there was a colored man in the 1 pile somewhere, and cluimed that there a8 10 provision protecting the revissionary rights of tho city of Omaha, It v not true that the new company must assume all the Liabilities of the old company. @Baker admitted this, but claimed that he could not see why tuis bill could not be con- setts £2,000 for s ted the constitutionality of the and wanted this point to be de- 1 before going any further. Buraham dofended the committes on eor. jorations and said they had held this bill onger than any other, and had heard coun sl on both sides, Pleldgrove said they wanted to find a_col- ored man 1n the fence, butcould not sce what was wrong. Ierlin defendod the report of the commit- tee on corporations. He said he had fully inyestigated the matter and was satistied the bill was all right. He could not afford to and would not support it if thore was an, thing wrong about it. He also read lett. from leadiag citizens of Omaba endorsing the bill. Berlin wanted to know why Hall had sud- denly taken such an interest in Douglas county. Hall answered him and declared he was glad that 1o one questioned his credentials, and that no slurs or insinuations should deter him from doing his duty, and ho pro- posed to examine every bill affecting Omaha with as much care as he was able to ex- ercise. Olmstead said Hastings was blessod with two street car liues, and more quarreisome, avaricious and disagreeable companies never existed anywhere, Gilchrist said that he had been approached by lawyers who warned him that if this bill passed Omaba would lose all her reversion- ary interests in her city railroads, but as Mr. Berlin had read the opinion of A, J. Popple- that Omaha's tected under this bill, he would ac n amendment to protect small stockholders from being fr The amendment was lost was then passed section by sec opposed the Iroad companies to et pos vise could not rts were made t were voted down and tee reported the bill back with dation that 1t do pass, "he bili was ovde assed by a vote of Dempster offered & resolution, Grave doubts ¢ constitutionality bhmission bill: therefore be it That the judees of the supreme Juested to furnish the house with an opinion on the following points: .18 the bill constitutional { Could a voter cast, his badlot for both? 3. 11 both were adopted what would be the s resolution was adopted without oppo Examined. [Spocial Telegram f. - Bessey, director of the experiment LiscoLy, Neb. to Mg Bee. | agricultural amined to-night by the senate investigating growth and 15 of the station. Nothing of spe Dales will be examined Monday nighte Legislative Gossip. LixcoLy, Neb., Feb. members settled down to busi £o0d shape, through a surprising amount of business. services in de: named Mor to the title to cor lowed by the committee on 1t is said that standing, and and if this be ue it will doubtless -get a thorough in committee of the whole. Morrissty, in the fonding the sta ton 1n a dispit tain lands, wi ‘I'he amount is § bill is a chestnut of and clections was tampe with, i causing mavked that Morr but the overture sey may be ubout right, from the re- M. O'Brien #et a better cluss of justices of the peace by reducing the of eighteen to six. Committee work will be pushed v from now on. The general Joaded down witiv bilis, many of which will r be reached Tom Major 1 in the legis here was a lull of aha is the happiest minutes in the the Funclk street vaily solidation bill—was sct up for a special order 1d no one seemed to have I i t or amuse the house. ir, MeBride wiclded the gavel this after- noon and made a very accep anything to sug- ble presiding W. R. Leach, J. J. Leach and wife, Dr. S, W. McGrew, G -Governor R Judge Oren, Posey W. Furnas, William Swuaun, cenan, Lincoln Matey, and C. Canbell, of Auburn entative Lash yester: find took in the debate on the Douglas county contest. Gilbert of York made a good speech in de- fense of his usury bill. deep impression on the members. measure is called up again a lively time is sure to follow The farmers may be credited with knock- Several other uscless and extravagant schemes will also be put in their little bed As usual in leg bers do all the talking, of a dozen or so, the members prefer to act rather than talk. Soveral ambitious statesmén are included amony: the members of the house. those who will yet be heard from in political cles are Baker of Jefferson, Raynor of rbin of Johnson, Buffalo,’ Christy of Clay, Dempster, and Ballard of Fillmor Gilelirist of Box Butte, called on Repr emarks made a by the same agen: utive bodies, a few mem- With the exception Fieldgrove of nd Hall of Lanca: While Judge Mason w ciary commitice gi constitutionality of woman suffrage, Ransom asked the judge what he thought about the supreme court’s opinion in a cer- tain much disputed before the judi- g his opinion The old gentleman be caught, and his response is worthy the ecrafty law, s, bowed my head in mute submission,” he said, ve dignity, *and put my on my lips in_silent dcquiescence with the erystalized embodiment of the law," Governor Thaye an Omaha Thayer was a member of the junketing party and insinuating that a bill v presented for her ticket while she held a alsehood,” said the gov- 8 not been outside of January 1, nearly six wecks. e too sensational, sinuations are enough to make a man damn the nowspapers.” is indignant at an article *It is a bald Lincoln since You reporters St. Louis Dyn st Louts, Mo, Feb, . ago some unknown fiend attemnte up Dr. Buck’s home with dynamite. The ex- tearing away the lower entailing a loss of over Last June a year plosion was territie, portion of the hiouse, Fortunately no one tectives were employed but failed to tind Last night another attempt was made, but only a portion of the dynamit A portion of the aynamite and a piece of the fuse are now hands of the police. ckige of a ca Bucl stands pmmunity, and these attempts cannot be explaine The Tariff Bill Amendments, WasiiNatoy, Feb, 8.—The computations made by treasury expert upon the probable effect of the senate amendments to the tarff ommittee on emocratic member of the committee says that the tables show that duction of §20,000,000 ef- s in the sugar schedule changes in the other tariff schedules, which, in themselves, w erablo increase 1w the reve reached the means to-day. one half of the fected by the changy result in a cons of revenue at 12,000,000 or £14,000,000, leay- g the internal revenue sections out of the A Consolidation of IRoads. New Yok, Feb, 8.--The negotiations be- Vanderbilt and Morgan for a consoli- dation of the Cleveland, Coluwbus, nati & Indianapolis (Bee line) and the Cin- cinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago have been successfully The terms are believed to include an exchange of stock. It is understood that the parties behind the deal are also working for an arrangement with the Cleveland, St. Louis & Kansas City ho Mississippi at Alton, but the officers of that road prefer to remain independent, and it is not likely that tney will agree to give any system ex- clusive connections. The Kilrain-Smith Fight. Loxpoy, Feb. 8 — Articles have been signed for the fight between Jem Smith and Jake Kilraln, London prize-ring rules, for ‘Phe fight is tixed for October, £1,000 a side. but the location is not settled, The Government's Proposed Irriga~ tion Project WILL REDOUND TO HER BENEFIT The Site for New Fort Omaha — The Des Moines River Land Bill Ready for Executive Approval, 518 PoURTREN 1t STRRET, WasmiNGroN, D, C., Fob,' & A few days ago Senator Paddock received a letter from State Geologist L. E. Hicks, at Lincoln, in reference to the former's appre hension as to the possible conscquences of intercepting the waters of the Platte in cou- nection with the proposed irrigation projects by the government. Prof. Hicks states that hitherto they have been used only during the jrrigating scason, but that since it is proposed to impound also the flood and storm wator: and the melting snow in the mountains, Kansas and Nebraska ought to stand to- gether, not only to guard thew people from injury in this matter, but to sccure some adequate share of the bencfits arising from the ex- penditure of the €,000,000 estimated for the preliminary surveys, and that there should be prompt action to change the proposcd plans before all the waters are tied up by vested rights, The letter of Prof. Hicks was referred to Major Powell, chief of the geological survey, To-day Senator Paddock received a reply. Major Powell says that the Platte and the Arkansas have their sources n the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, but after passing the Colorado and Wyoming lines they receive groat ad- ditions to their volume from the streams and storms of (he lower country, so that but a small portion of the water which these rivers discharge the Missour: and Mississippi comes from the mountain regions, In Colorado and Wyo- ming all aericulture s dependent upon artificial iwrigation, as the water which comes direct from the heaveus is insuficient to pro- duee crops. The same, he suys, is true of the western portion of Kansas aid Nevraska, Major Powell continues: *‘In this portion of the arid region under consideration, embr: ing a part of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kan wriculture is possible only by diverting the water of the streams out upon the adjae and the real question is what effect the development of irrigation in Colorado and ~ Wyoming have upon irrigation in _ Ncbruska and Kansas. The North Platte and the South Platte and the Arkansas present distinet problems. They must, therefore, be considercd_scparately. “The Platte has two branches—the North Platte draining a lurge of Wyoming, und the South Platte a lurge area in Colorado. A large volume of this water can be used across the line in Ne- braska to better advautage than in Wyoming, nd the storaze of the waters of thoe Novth Platte, which will be chieily in Wyomi will_greatly benefit Nebraska. In fact, braska is far more interosted in the storage of the waters of the North Platte than Wyoming, for in general the storage of the waters of the North Platte will benefit Wyoming in ‘s yery slight degree. It must be understood that irrigation cau be produced without storage by using the wa- ters of the running stréams during the sca- son of irrigation, which is very short, aver- aging usually for the various crops about two months in this region. Storage in- creascs the area of irrigable lands by hold- ing back in reservoirs water that would oth- erwise run to waste during ten months of the year. It is this water, to be stored about the headwaters of the North Platre, by which tlie people of Nebraska are to be chiefly ben- elited. WASHINGTON BUREAU ThE OMAnA Bre, } NEBRASKA IAS THE ADVANTA In his letter Major Powell continues to say that the South Platte has its source in the mountauns of Colorado, and in that state irrigation is already greatly developed, so that practically all the water of the South Platte which flows from the mountains dur- ing the season of irrigation is already used in critical seasons, Whether the water should be surrendered by the people of Colo- rado to those of Nebraska, whether the agri- cultural industries ulong the Platte and its tributaries in Colorado should be destroyed in order that new industries in Nebraska may be created is a question that everyone can easily answer for himself. But there is a further condition worthy of consideration. If the waters of the South Platte now used in Colorado were used in Nebraska, the area brought under cultivdtion in the latter state would be very much smaller than the area now under cultivation in Colorado by the use of the same waters. In that region the rain is condensed on the mountains. Compara- tively little falls on the arid plains, not enough to produce perrennial springs. 1t is probable that three acres can be irri- gated near to the mountains of Colo- rado where only one acre can be irri- gated m Nebraska, This must be understood, however, as an estimate and not as actually determined by stream gauging. The im- portant question is what offect will storage have upon the supply of water from the South Platte. It has already been stated that the waters of the North Platte can be advantageously and economically stored in the mountain regions, but this is not true of uth Platte. The reservoir system is ‘Wtth some 1mportant execp- ers of the South Platte must be stored below, as the declivity of the moun- tains drained by that river is in general too great to offer a favorable place for uwir storage, They will, therefore, have to be stored in the foothills and on the plains. Tne stored waters will decrease the volume of the South Platte where it crosses the Colorado-Nebraska hne during the non- irvigating season. The use of the water which fulls as rain during the irrigating sea- son near to the mountaius in Colorado, as it is now chiefly used, greatly diminishes the volume 1 western 'Nebraska, but on the other hand the storage of water during the irrigating season, will greatly increuse the water available for Nebraska during the irri- gating season. Tuking the facts as they are, namely, that the waters of the South Platte falling during the icrigating season are al- ready used in Colorado, the prospects for rigating frow the Scuth Platte in western Nebraska depends upon the storage of the waters falling during the non-irrigat- ing scason. The greater the amount of water stored in Colorado, the greater will be the area irrigated i Nebraska. Major Powell describes in his letter 0 Senator Paddock the use prapased for the Arkansas in Kansas and elsewhere in irrigation. The letter is of great length and vast importan and will be used in the guidance of the leg- islation by congrel Major Powell in closing his lengtiiy statement, says that tho question of the use df the Platte and th 1s rivers is one affecting agriculture that the amount of iprigatable lands med in Nebraska and Kaunsas by the waters of the Platte;and Arkansas depends upou the amount of water stored in Colorado and Wyoming, THE SITE FOR NEW FORT OMAHA. Senator Mauderson was at the war depart- ment this morning, aud had a talk with Gen. eral Schofield about the purchiase of ground for new Fort Omaha. General Brooke has recommended the acceptance of the proposi tion of Henry T, Clarke, and asks that in ad- dition to the acquirgment of this ground that an appropriation be made by congress for the purchase of enouch additional ground to make altogether 900 acres. This, he says, will afford smple room for a rifle range, and tnere will be excellent dramage. He states it isthe only tract of land of the numerous pieces offered which is acceptable for the purpose, General Crook indorses the recommendation, wud General Sehofield also believes that the urchases should be made as recommended )y Brooks. General Manderson suys it will be necessary o secure a further appropria- tion, and that unt.l congress provides more . FEBRUARY 9, 1850, money there will be no purchase made. He will make an effort to secure the additional appropriation at this session of congress, If he fails, he will push it at the first session of the next congress. Gemeral Schofleld fully coincides in the recommendations once made by General Sheridan, and says there is need of making Fort Omaha first overy respect. General Schofield is 1 at the success of the Omaha post ofice building bill, as it will give an addi tional building for the headquarters of the rmy. He says that it emphasizes the needs of a’better site and building for Fort Omaha. THE DES MOINES RIVER LAND BILL The president has again an opportunity to do justice to the people of Towa. Two years years ago he vetoed the act to quict the titlo o settlors on the Des Moines river lands, but it was claimed at the time that he did not understand the situation and misjudged the case. [t is reported that during the present congress he has given an assuranc, that he will sign the bill’ if it reaches him, and upon that assurance it passea the house of representatives in December last. To-day it went through the senate and will be in the prosident’s hands before to-morrow night The act as passed differs only in one particu- lar from that which was vetoed. The title to the lands in question is given only to the original settlers or their heirs, and 1ot to their assigns, as the former bill pro vided. In other, words, if a man shall have s0ld his homestead in the Des Moines rive valley, the purchaser is not protected by this bill, but if he should still hoid it, or if it shall have been inherited by his natural heirs, his title is good. 1 asked Senator Wilson to'day if he thoughit the president would sign the bill, ““I do not know, ' he said, ‘“whether he will or not. 1 do not know has given any assurance, but I know that we shall ex haust every opportunity 4o make the justice of the measure clear to his mind, ana he will at least understand the vill before he act upon it.” MONEY FOIR MILITARY BUILDINGS, Congress last session, through an amend- ment put upon the sundry civil appropriation bill, made an appropriation of 50,000 for tho completion of the buildings at Fort Robinson, 1d 4 like amount for Fort Niobrara. Sen' or Paddock, a few days since reccived a a letter from Fort Robinson, informing him that the ofti~er in command atthat post had beex notified that £20,000 of this spocial ap propriation had been diverted to sume other use. The senator immediately introduced an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill, now pending, for a new appropriation of 0,000 for Fort Robinson, which was re- ferred 1o the commitice on_military affairs, ors Manderson and Paddock bad an rview with the quartermaster ral, and learn from him that the special appropriation of last year had been withheld because the phrase “*comple tion of the worl of constructing the build ing,” was used, instead of “continuing” the work, a phrascology adopted by the commit- tee itself, which under a ruling of the second auditor of the treasury did not authorize any disbursement except’ to comblete certain work, which was ouly a part of the plan of improvement at Iort: Robinson, approved by the secretary of war, upon which the osti mates made by him were based. A very fine spun technicality, but suflicient to provent the prosecution of the requircd work. Sen- ator Manderson, immediately upon his turn to the senat presented the to the committec on military of which he is a member, and seceurc authority to report at once Mr. Paddock’s amendmient and also another amendment_of his own of a similar character for Fort Nio- brara, which was left in the same boat as Lort Robinson by the ruling of the anditor. Both amendments will undoubtedly be adopted by the committee on appropriations and_undoubtedly they will be accepted by the house of representatives TIE RAILWAY SERVICES. Senator Paddock to-day introduced a bill oxcmpting the railway service from the civil service law. It will likely be passed There is almost universal condemnation of the ex- tension of the civil service laws over the railway mail service. Periy S. HEati, s FOR WAR, Proposed Increase in Fortification and Naval Appropriations. WASHINGTOY, Feb. he fortification and naval appropriation bills were submit- ted to the full senate committee on appropria- ti0ns to-day by the sub-committees charged with their examination. The appropriations in the fortification bill were increased as fol lows: Torpedos for harbor defenses, §200,000; machine guns of American manufucture, §20,000; caissons and battery wagons, §13,- 274; for conducting aunual heavy artillery practice, $20,000. A provision was in- serted that all moneys shall be disbursed by theboard of ordnance and fortifications created last year, and it is made imperativ on the board to buy only American-made material. The steel forgings and gun carriage appropriations amount to nearly £300,000, Heavy additions were made to _the naval . The construction of two steel gunbo: or cruisers is provided for to be of from 500 to 1,200 tous displacement, and to cost not more than §700,000; also one steel cruiser of 2,000 tons displacement, to_cost £700,000. An appropriation is_also made for one ram for harbor defense in accordance with the plans prepared by the naval advisory board of 18S1. In order that these vesscls may be speedily built, the appropriation for steel machivery is increased by #1,500,000, and that for armament $1,400,000. The new ves- sels are to be lighted by clectricity, and §00,- i iated for that purpose, The Weighing System Ordered Dis- continued in Kansas. [Special Telegram to ~The new method of charging for live stock by the hundred pounds instead of for car loads, inaugurated by the western roads January 1, has proved an expensive experiment. The action of the Kansas rail- road commission, ordering the roads in that state to charee by the car load us formerly, will compel the abandonment of the scheme. A meeting of managers will be held here Tuesday to see how they can su least a portion of their plan, Meantime orders were 1ssued last e zents that rates at all ICansas points must be made in accord with the commissions ruling. While this does not compel roads to stop weighing at_Kansas City and other points east of the Missouri river, yet the fact that the Missouri Pacific and St. Louis & San Francisco roads run from Kansas points to St. Louis south of Kansas City, and consequently cannot have their cattle weighed at Kansas City, necessi tates the discontinuance of the new scheme as far cast as St. Louis. An cffort will bo made, however, to_continue it east of St. Louis and between Owaha and Chicago, The Local Insy fon Matter, CnicaGo, Feb. 8.—Hiram McChesney and . 8. Wilson, members of the state board of live stock commissioners, who were in town to-day, were interviewed to-day concerning the local inspection bills that have been in- troduced in the various legislatures now in session, They say that at a meeting of the board held in Springficld yesterday the reso. lutions were discussed at ‘length. Whiln no action was taken, the commissioners declurc that it was the sentiment of the board that if any local inspection bill should puss providing that no meat should be sold until the animal from which s taken shall first have been inspected alive within the state enacting the law, that rejected cattle from such state will be shipped “to Chicago, a8 no provision is made for killing rejected apimals in any of the pending bills; and if such should be the case, Illinois will take such steps—either quarauting or inspection at the state line—as will protect this state, - - Legitime Recognized as President. New Youk, Feb, 8.—Minister Preston re- ceived a dispatch from the Haytien legation this morning, saying that the British and French governments have ofiicially recog- nized General Legitime as president of the Haytien republic. The minister says that the aunouncement will greatly assist in re storing order in Hayti, RUCKER SLA AN EDITOR, An Afair Which is Liable to Lead to Scrious Trouble. Dexver, Colo., Feb, $.—[Special Telegram to Tre Bee.)—The greatest. local sensation this city has had for many months occurred early this morning, and which but for the prompt interforence of frionds would huve probably resulted seri At 1:30 this mort Colonel John -Arkins, manager of the Nows; Senator-elect Wolcott and Chief of Polico Brady were standing at the bar in Jones® saloon, on Curtis strect, when Judge Rucker entered, and, walking without a word up to Mr. Arkins, struck him in the face with the panm of his hand For a moment Mr. Arkins scomed to be stricken dumb with amazement, and_while he was recovering himself Judge Rucker backed off and put nis haad on his revolver. At this point Chief Brady felt called upon to arrest Judge Rucker, and after disarming him marched his distinzuished prisoner over to the patrol box at the corner of Sixtecnth and Uurtis streots, ana called the patrol wagon, Juage Rucker, whoso name has be- come famous throughout the feountry from his recent tilt with Senator Blackburr, was putin the “hurey up” wagon and taken to the city jail and Jocked up on a charge of carrying concealed weapons and creating a disturbance. He refused any attempt to se- care bail and remained in"his cell until 3 o'clock this morning, when he was released. At 8 o'clock he was brought before a justice of the peace and fined §16 and costs on the o charges, The little “serap™ this morning grew out of the once famous Blackburn-Rucker ducl imbroglio. While this long-winded affair in progross John Avkins made a visit to w York City. . While there he told a porter that Judge Rucker wouldn't that he was nov of fizhting stock, or words to et To this Judge Rul Mied Arkins was neither a wentlens ar, nor a democrat, and he publicly at that time that he would settle with Arkins when he was through with Blackburn, thought that further trouble will result over the affair, —— LE CARON He Was a Soy Nothfu Loxnoy, Feb, 8.—The eross-cxamination of Le Caron was continued before the Par neil commission to-day. The court room was overcrowded. enell was not present. Le Caron said that during the last fc nents relating to tl on, an official of the home ofti s private residence witness to see the whole of latt er's correspondence with tho home ofice., During the first three years of his services s spy Do teceived no payment from the pvernment, At present he was receiving 1ly part of his Witness said e prac- 8 v drug store and had be come rich, He had held a high military ofice in_the brotherhood but never an exec- utive offfee. Brady of Philadelphia was now at the head of the oxceutive ofiice, Sir Charles Russell asked that that the let ters to the government be produced. The witness asked: Do you wish to risk men's lives Sir Charles replied: “The judzes will sce the letters flvst and they will decide whether the names shall be published.” Tue witness said that on the oceas- jon of Parnell's only public visit to Ameriea, in 1580, the démonstrations were exclusively in the hands of the revolutionary party. Members of cougress were counecte:l with the revolutionary party. “Would it be correet to say that Parnell's reception showed that he had the s; ot Awmericans as well as the Irish{" asked Sir Charles Russeil. It would,” responded the witnoss. Sir Churlos asked to be permitted to in- spect the documents sent by the witness under cover., Sir Henry James and Mr. Rexd, in the in- terests of third par ies, opposcd the applica- tion. The court decided that Sir Charles Rus- 1l, for Parnellites, and Sic Henry Janies, for the Times, should consult towether as to which documents might be mspected. Don't Know Le Caron. Loxnox, Feb, 8.—Sexton, lord mayor of Dublin, telegraphs: *1 have no memwmory of ever meeting Le Caron. His story connoct- ing me with Brennan's depart is an abso- lute fabrication.” DIECKMAN Causes a y wong St. Louis Commis; Men, 8r. Louis, Mo., Feb. The flight of Henry Dieckmann, president of the Ma Borgis Milling company, to Canada, con- tinues to be the chief topic of conversation incommercial circles. The amount of his defaleation is estimated at from £30,000 up. wards, but the exact figures are not. obtainable. The heaviest loser will be his mother-in-law, Mrs. Me; of whose estate he has been trustee for sev- eral years, For the past three years Dieck- mann has been a familiar figure at the Mer- chants’ Exchange, and has gained the repu- tation of a bold speculator. The attachment suit against him by Mrs, Mevers was the first intimation of anything wrong in his finauces. As soon as this wus known there was a gencral stampede among the commis sion men to see whether ornot Dieckmann was their debtor. It s found that his transactions had been much larger thun sup wosed, and that ho had dealings with neasly firm on the board, as well as with ago houses, It is now believe son for 5o widely distributing h orders was to conceal the extent of his dea ings, An examination of the books of tl different firms discloses the fact that on the whole he has been a most unfortunate specn- his good investments being iny followed by bad ones. Scarce count shows him 1o be anything but a loser, Dicelomann leaves an invalid wife and three hildren, the eldest but seven years of age. - - Molloy ol ral For Perjury, Loxnoy, Feb. S.--Patrick Malloy v charged at the Row street police court to-day with committing perjury in Lis testi mony before the Parncll commission Charles Matthews is counsel for the Times, The prosecutor stated that Molloy had tricked tne Dublin solicitor for the Times by revelations concerning the Feniun brother hood and Invincibles, Molloy afterwards denied before the commission thut ho cither o Fenian or Invincible, 'The prosecu tion uscertained that Molloy had boen both, and they had evidence to prov perjury. Patrick Delaney, — w was sentenced to death for complicity in the Phanix park murder, his sentonce after ward being commuted Lo life imprisonuent, testified that Molloy was an Invincible, 1lé also connected Motloy with the party formed in 1352 to muraer Chief Scerctary Porster. Molloy also assisted in the plot to murder Justice Lawson, C Solicitor Anderson, and_twelve Dul ] who gave a verdict of guilty agalust cnlan Frank Hynes Uniform I swification, Cuicaco, [ committes ap pointed to arrange a uniform freight classifi cation for use by all railroads in the United States completed to-day the rules that 2 Lo govern the proposed systeu The more difii- cult task of grouping all articles in a manner that will be satisfactory to every scetion re. mains o be performed, and several months will be required to complete it A Runaway Fatality. 8r. Lous, Feb. 8. his afternoon a fire engine golug to a fire frightened a horse hitched to a wagon, and Mr. Ward, the owner, was thrown from the wagon and probably fatally injured. Maggie Lrown, agod six years, was run over and instantly Killed. Carlés Hallis and Miss Annie Mc- NUMBER 239 [THE BILLINGS MURDER CAS It Comes Up Before the Iowa Su- preme Court. RAILROAD MEN IN CONFERENCE, The Commissioners Asked to Revise the Schedale Now in Force—-A Victory That Gives Little Satisfaction, His Last Chance. Drs Moixes, la, I'eb, 8.~ [Special Tele- to Tnr Bee, | The cclebrated Billiogs murder case is now before the supreme court. Billings, who was convicted of the murder of Kingsley, at Waverly, and sen- tenced to the penitentiary for life, is here i prison to plead his own caso fora vew trial, Ho has not been heard yet. His attorney opened the areument in his behalf this after- noon. It is possible that Billings may spoak to-morrow, though his caso is well prosecuted by his atforncy. Billings' appearance has been changed somowhat by his imprison- ment. His face has neen shaved, though hi hair allowed to grow, and a stranger would take him for some country preacher, instead of u murdercr sontenced to prison for life. Ho takes his meals at a botel in_charge of & warden of the penitentinry, and spends his nights in the county jail. He seems to feel contident that he will get a new trial, They Arve Sorey They Won, Des Moises, L., Feb, S.—[Special Tele- seam to Tue Bre ] ~The supreme court to- day decided a case involving the validity of paving contracts in this city, which is of y serious import. It is incidentally ro- able for the that while nominally a ctory for the petitioners, it denies what they wanted and gronts what they didn't want, They appealed to the court 1o restrain the eity from lovying an old two-mill tax for nterséetions of paving and other purposes, when, by anew Liw, the cost of interscetions is charged divect 1o tho property owners. The supreme o liolds that the wtwomill * levy is all right, but th the whole paving 18 illegal on a technicali that when adver- tising for bids for ity couneil did ot specify which part v kind of pavin would be tsed. 5o it overthrows and de- clares voil all the assessuents for all the paving done in Des Moines in 1586, 1857 and 1888, including se Al miles of paving valued at hundeeds of thousands of doll Under this rulinge not only those who havo not_ yet paid for thcir paving avo excmpt, but those who have vaid without a waiver' can bring suit to recover what they paid, or have the paving taken up. Public indignation runs high against the court for using a_ techuicals ity of thut kind to cause o mush trouble, They Want the Rates Revised. Des Moises, la, Feb, 8.—|Special ‘L'ele- gram to Tie Bre]—The railvoad commiss sioners’ office is now the mecea for the lead- ilroad men of the west. Presidont in Hughitt, General Preight Agont MeCullough, General Counsel Gandy, of the & Northwestern, and President ager Jefireys and Trafiic Manager T -, of the Tllinois Central, met there this afternocon for a private confer- ence with the commissioners, They stated that they were willing to put the “commis- sioners’ rates in force, but they belioved they are too low, and hoped for a revision and a raising. When the commissioners put out their schedule of November 3, they adopted the western clussification 1m place of the linois, and thought that by so doing they were giving the roads an_advant- age of about 15 percent raise. Bu actual onstration has showa that the difference between the two forms of classiflcation really amounts to not more than 2 per cent, The roads now asking for a revision that will raise the rates more than that, and the commissioners intimate that they may give it. Meantime the roads will enforce the schedule of June 28, substituting the western for the Illinois classification, The confer- ence lusted for some time and the commis- sioners took the matter under advisement without reachiug any decision. The Brown Trial, Masox Crry, Ta, Feb. 8.—[Special Tele- gram to ne Bee| A sigh of relief goes up from the community at the announcoment that the famous Brown trial has almost reached a conclusion, whether the vernict of the jury will accord with the public senti- mentor not. The unfortunate woman has passed through a terrible ordeal, but through it all shie has remained calm and enol. Upon the result sentiment, is much_divided, but a great many are of the opinion that she is guilty of committing the crime, but that the evidence has not had suflicient, evidence to prove it. Lawyers Markley and Weick have oceupicd the entire day in_their pleas, and to-morrow John Cliggitt closes ior the de- fense and will be followed by J. J. Clavk for the state, The case must go 1o the jury to- morrow, as he opens court in Brewer county on Monday. A Maniac Moust Preassyt, T clegram to Tue B man by the name of Ferdinand Bever, who has for some time been suspected of being insane, left the house a few evenings ago and did not return, Some time in the night Mrs. Boyer thought she heard her husband 1, and at the same time sho discoyered the house to be on fi She alarmed the family, and the oldest boy, opened the und, discovering the burn on n'to the barn in his night clothes, night save the horses, but found horses had been taken out and tied 1o some trees near by, Nearly everything in both houses and the barn was burned, leay- ing the family destitute. A search was made, and Beyer was found hanging to a tree, The Supreme ©urt. Des MoiNes, Ia, Peb. 8. gram to Tie Bre.]—The supreme court filed but two opinions to-day. In the first, that of J. M. Coggeshall and others, appellunts, against the city of Des Moines, the judgment of the lower court is afirmed as to the lovy of a 2 mill tax to pay intersection bonds, and sed as to special assessments against | estate for paving. [n tho sccond, Mary Gilbertson Nels Gilbertson, KEmmett r court is afirmed gument in tie Kennedy marder case, from Dubuque, occupied the forencon session of the court A Postoflice Hobbed, Masox Crry, la, ), [Special Tele- gram to ue Bee | -The postofce at Port. Jand was burglarized last night and quite & sum of money stolen ves effected 1 cotrance through the floor under the office, A private dwelling was also pillaged, e > A London Theatre Kire, Loxnox, Feb. 8. The T eatre Aldershot was burned 1o the ground tonight. Pue srforn s in progress when the fire roke out, and the audience became panic- n, and a mad rush for the doors en- sued, Inthe struggle many persons were tranpled upon and injured, and there were # number of narrow escapes from death, - Perforated the Celestials, Herexa, Mont., Feb. 8,-On Wednesday night, at Phillipsburg, Deputy Sheriffs Opp and Fieldgill raiged the store of Him Lee, which was used by the Chinese 4s an opium Chinese ascertained that no war- r en issued and attacked the dep- uty sheriffs with knives. They fired into the crowd. Tow PPie was killed and Him Ginnis were run over sud seriously injured. | Loe and Al Lee seriously wounded,