The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 29, 1895, Page 3

e THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1895. PACIFIC COAST NEWS, Utah’s First Genuine Re~ publican Convention in Session. A FULL TICKET NAMED. Heber M. Wells, a Natlve of Utah, Nominated for Governor. C. E. ALLEN FOR CONGRESS. Harmony Marked the Entire Pro- ceedings of the Meeting—All Sections Honored. SALT LAKE, Umas real Repnblican ¢ convened at It was the cor A The first ives to evailed. led the chairma n made stir- i the delegates rary organ- e various committees Hc and, the delegates of the day com- s past Messrs. Charles Crane been working for »f Governor for the new aced before the con- a feeling of certainty s that the one nomi- be succe: in the election. so a candidate. On t Thomas received only 99 Crane 200. Wells as on the convention llot carried the day. to everybe ed a feeling of v esteemed by all. He is State Bank of Utah, and a te D.H. Wells, one of the i 1847. Another son is the United It was passed off as smoothly as The work done was of Jach - section of The women, t0o, Were recog- nma McVicker being unani- ated as State Superintendent in the interest years ago, ana the literary and is named for Congress- 10 is a Republican, pure and ket as a whole is the strongest t before the vo‘ers of Utah, and one val of the whole follows: Gov- 1t Lake County; Zane, J. A, Miner, Representa- len, Salt Lake; te. J. T. Hammond, ames Chipman, Utah; rds, Iron; Attorne; hop, Weber; Supe c Instruction, Emma Mc- A FIRE AT LOS ANGELES, It Is Caused by the Explosion of a Gasoline Cooking- Stove. Miss Ella Leonard Burned So Badly That She May Die—Her Body Scarified. LOS ANGELES, Can., Aug. 28.—The Lankershim block of flats on the corner of Broadway and Seventh streets was badly damaged by fire to-day shortly after the noon hour. The fire started in one of the upper flats, and was caused by the explo- sion of a gasoline cooking-stove. Miss Ella Leonard, who was cooking the noon- day meal for the family at the time, was iously if not fatally burned, her entire b.dy being badly scarified. The building as owned by J. B. Lankershim, a cap- jtalist, and was damaged to the extent of $5000. SUIT FOR DIVORCE. The Defendant the Assistant District Attorney of Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES, CaL., Aug. 28.—Suit been brought for divorce by Anita ms, wife of Assistant District Attor- y W.T. W ms, who alleges asa cause the separation habitual intemperance and abuse. liams’ answer, filed with the court, counter charges against his wife of : same nature. The suit has caused a on _here on account of the social of the parties interested and the Mr. Williams has attained in en. Beet Arrested for Larceny. 10S ANGELES, CiL., Aug. 28.—Henry B. Beet, who made himself prominentsev- 2 days ago by suing Professor Oscar R. Gleason and subsequently attaching the box-office receipts for $500, was arrested X to-day for 'larceny on a warrant from n Pedro. Having failed to make his 1 good to the Sueriff the latter returned rofessor Gleason the amount deposited ‘ase on the attachment of last Sat- night. e A PORTLAND MAN IN LUCK. He Is Bequeathed a Fortune for Having Cured & Melancholia Victim. PORTLAND, Or., Aug.. 28. — Harry Brown, the well-known comic opera come- dian ose home is-here in Portiand, er vears of being down on his Juck, has stiuck it rich and will pass the rest of his life in ease. His story is a peculiar one. While filling an unprofitable, discour- Charles 8. Va- | nt chairman amid | | of Gillette and a lady medir | 5 aging engazement in Cleveland he cured a hitherto incurable melancholia patient, the young son of wealthy parents. The v was afflicted with snicidal mania and stantly watched. The boy aw Brown and laughed for rst time in his life. rown became young Kellogg’s physi- n and he cured him.” When Mrs. Kel- g died recently she bequeathed a com- rtable fortune in cold cash to Brown, to whom the money was just then a God- send. Brown is v ng old friends here. after which he goes to San Francisco and then to the south of France, where he will spend the winter. the B ARCHBISHOP GROSS’ ADDRESS. It Declares the Mother Church Is Not Opposed to Public Schools. PORTLAND, Or., Aug. 28.—In view of ) recent dissensions in church circles grow- ing out of the question of the employment of Catholic teackers in the public schools, Archbishop Gross of Oregon has is- sued an official address on religious education, declaring that the church is in no manner opnosed to the public-school idex of America, as is charged. He says that the mother church insists that wner- ever possible it is the duty of Catholic par- ents to give their children a Catholic re- ligious education, but that the public scuool must be left intact. Lmedis cpE Y A4 TALE OF SANTA BARBARA. A Spiritualistic Medium Involved in a Charge of Ewmbezziement. SANTA BARBARA, CaL., Aug. 28.—M. house on State street, recently attached a diamond stud and a gold watch and chain belonging to a lodger named J. W. Treat apon a claim of $299 alleged to be due for week, a credit of $51 being allowed on a fermer payment. To-day Treat had Gillette arrested on the charge of embezzling a diamond ring valued at $150. The parties to the suit are Spiritualists, and this ring was given ty Treat to Gillette in obedience to a mes- sage fmrpnrm-g to be from Treat's de- ceased wife written on a slate in the hands m. Treat also alleges that he owes no money 1o Gillette, but on the contrary has paid him between $700 and $800, a sum far in oxcess of the claims against him. Gillette is under $500 bonds to appear in answer to the charge, Otto Kaiding and L. H. Mower being his bondsmen WORK OF THE EDITORS Permanent Organization Ef- fected at the Salt Lake Convention. Resolutions Adopted Relative to Matters of Importance to the West. SALT LAKE, Utan, Aug. 28.—The con- vention of Western editors got down to business to-day. The pleasures of yester- | day bad seemingly invigerated them for e st work and the business for which the convention was called. The perma- nent organization of an association was | effected by the election of E.G. Rognon, | Utah, permanent chairman; C. E. Mc- Sheeby, Colo., permanent secretary; J. F. Utah, ant secretary. The committees appointed were: Publications, | ways and means, libel law, permanent or- ganization, credentials, resolutions and order of business. Adjourned after routine work until 2 p. M. The i ant work of the afternoon was the reading and adoption of the re- port of the committee on resolutions, which was a lengthy and able document, embracing resolutions affecting the devel- | opment cf the Great Northwest, the con- quest of arid America, the enforcement of laws restricting pauper and criminal im- migration, enactment of laws to protect newspapers more fully as regards libel, the storage of waters of the Upper Missis- sipoi, legislative laws for the proper publi- | cation legal notices, contracts with rail- roads and advertising. These several arti- | cles were introduced by the delegates from the States which are directly benefited be- tween the river and the Pacific. The re- port was adopted unanimously. The name of the new organization is the Western Editorial Federation. On a telegraphic invitation from the Mayor of Denver it was unanimously ear- ried that the next meeting be held there. The officers elected were: C. E. Mc- Sheehy of Colorado, president; Cripple Crcek, corresponding sec- J. Y. Gilmore, Louisiana, financial secretary; Ewing Herbert, Kansas, record- 1g secretary; E. G. Rognon, Utah, attor- win, Colorado, members of the executive committee. In addition to the officersa vice-president will be named for every State represented. The editors came out solid for silver. In the resolutions passed was the following article: Resolved, That we demand the free coinage of i and gold at the ratio of 16 to 1, without ng for the action of any foreign govern- To-night the Tabernacle is crowded with the visitors, who are enjoying a concert nged for them by the Tabernacle choir, d by leading talent of the city. To-morrow they will visit the Ontario at Park City on_a special Union c train, and, returning to Ogden, an- other banquet will be given there, and the visitors will then leave for their homes. Tmarlo DIED AT REDWOOD CITYX. Mrs. Horace Hawes Departed This Life at Her Daughter’s Home. REDWOOD CITY, CaL., Aug. 28.—Mrs, Horace Hawes, relict of the Jate Horace Hawes, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Caroline Robinson, to-day. Mrs. Hawes was born at Mount Sterling, Ky. Her age was 67 years. Mrs. Robinson is her only living child. “ Mrs. Hawes was one of the early settlers in California. She came across the plains in 1852 and married Horace Hawes in Cal- ifornia. In 1857 Horace Hawes acquired a tract of land containing 2000 acres from William Carey Jones, brother-in-law of General Fremont. This land lies along the town limits of Redwood City, and is known as Redwood Farm. It embraces some 1500 acres of rich valley land and 500 acres of gently rolling hill slopes. The whole tract was richly dotted with grand old oaks, and formed an elegant suburban estate. This became the family home, and amid these surroundings Mrs. Hawes hasalways lived. In her disposition Mrs. Hawes was the personification of generosity, so that during all these years she gained many warm friends. When Horace Hawes died in the early seventies he provided in his last will for provision was never consummated. His family was also grevxded for, but the con- ditions were such that the will was assailed and the property was afterward distributed to Mrs. !gawesund ner twochildren, young Horace Hawes, who is now dead, and Car- rie Hawes, now Mrs. James A. Robinson. Mother and daughter were never separated during life. At the old home Mrs. Hawes always dispensed hospitality with tbe famed free-heartedness of the argonauts. T The mialand train was wrecked at Buena Vista, Colo., Tuesday night. A bowlder fell upon the track. Oné man was killed and two injured. J. Gillette, proprietor of the Rush Lodging- | four weeks’ attendance upon Treat during | his iliness, charged at the rate of $25 a | T. M.} A. B. Tomsen, Utah, and H. F. Mer- | the establishment of a university, but this | PACIFIC COAST NEWS, Equalizers Consider the Assessment of San Francisco. EXPLAINED BY HERZER. Valuations of Property in the Metropolis Reasonably High. ILLUSTRATED BY COMPARISONS. Exceptions Taken by the Board to the Levy on the Various Banks. SACRAMENTO, CaL., Aug. 28.—Chief Deputy Assessor Hugo Herzer opened the campaign on the part of San Francisco Ccunty before the Board of Equalization this morning by reading a statement pre- pared at the request of the Board of Super- visors of that City, giving a series of | reasons why the tax assessment of San | Francisco County should not be increased. | Thedocument began with the assertion | that the Assessor had corscientiously | sought to comply with the definition of | the law that real and personal property should be assessed at its full cash value, and, continuing, stated that S8an Francisco property was assessed with more uniform- ity and, considering the difficulties of as- certaining its value, at a higher percentage | than property in any other county of the | State; that if such be the case it was the duty of the board to reduce assessments instead of raising them. After stating the method by which as- | sessments were levied, the statement was made that doring the past five years the business and manufacturing interests of the City had suffered grievously, and that the stagnation in commerce had reduced rents | to a figure not known in years. Deputy Assessor Herzer quoted the as- sessment-rolls of his county for the past six years, and also the assessment-rolls of seventeen other counties, claiming that San Francisco assessment had increased 27.43 per cent, while the increase of assessed value in the State, exclusive of San Fran- cisco, was but 8.59. Solvent credits and moneys, he claimed, were better assessed than in any other portion of the State. He read a list of business houses which bhad gone out of business since 1889, and whose assessments had footed up $3,577,911. At this polnt Assessor Herzer was inter- rupted by Equalizer Arnold, who wanted to be informed if the Assessor considered that any argument in favor of a reduction in the assessment. The real estate occu- pied by these firms was still there and the business thev possessed had been absorbed by other firms, many of whom were new and successful. Mr. Herzer replied, “Well, perhaps so,” and proceeded to give the decrease in the value of the shipping interests and Chi- nese merchandise, which had declined since 1890 from $1.499,723 to $750,318. At- tention was drawn to the assessed value of property per front foot in San Francisco as compared with that of other cities, and the Assessor alluded in a satirical manner to the report of Assessor Dalton of Alameda when he made his plea before the board a few days ago. “Mr. Dalton,” continued Mr. Herzer, “claimed that the front-foot assessments in Alameda were $1150, Sacramento $165, | San Jose $550, but failed to mention San | Francisco, although he received figures from me on the question. I told him San Francisco assessments were from $1750 to $2500 per front foot. “In conclusion let me say the Assessor, on behalf of the taxpayers of San Fran- cisco, does not ask for any mercy at the hands of this board. He apvpears with an assessment, which he claims has been conscientiously compiled, and has endeav- ored to do justice to the taxpayers, as be- tween each other, to the City, which all are in duty bound to maintain, and the State, as the great sovereign to whom the tribute of all1s due. Anxious to ‘render unto Cwzsar the things that are Casar’s,’ he has, at the same time, endeavored to do justice to Ceesar’s subjects. Even the Chi- nese, those unremitting parasites of civ- iilization. are leaving us to our fate; and | yet we do not come here to complain—we merely ask for justice.” “Mr. Herzer,” said Equalizer Arnold, ‘“‘you seem fond of comparing the amount of money in your eity assessment with that of other cities. Now, your listing of solvent credits in San Francisco is $328,000,000, and the sworn statements of your banks show that they possess $183,000,000, or more than balf of the total amount, while Los An- geles lists $82,000,000, of which the banks =old $11,000,000. Cousequently, the As- sessor in that city gets seven times as much solvent credits outside the banks as you do. How do you account for this? For in- stance, take the Bank of California. It has paid up capital of $3,000,000, yet you have it assessed for only $1,140,000, with no solvent credits.” “That bank has no solvent credits,” de- clared Mr. Herzer. “What's that!” said Equalizer Arnold, as he clutched a handful of documents, left his chair and started toward Mr. Herzer. “Just take your pencil aud I'll read you some figures.”” After considerable computation, Mr. Herzer contending that the capital stock bonds, and, therefore, should not be as- sessed, and Mr. Arnold insisting that it had escaped assessment, Mr. Herzer in- formed the board that he had assessed the Bank of California for $1,140,000. “That bank should have been assessed for $4,000,000,” remarked Equalizer Arnold, “and the same statement applies to every other bank in S8an Francisco. It must be because you don’t figure up those things right. There isn't a bank in your city that is assessed right.” “Or in any other city in the State,” re- marked Equalizer Cheesebrough. Supervisor Taylor then addressed the board as follows: “I have no particular address to make, but I wish to say that there has been a great depreciation in values and manufac- turing interests in our city. One of the greatest of these is the woolen-mills, which desire to sell their interests at a nominal figure.” “There isa gain of nearly $4,000,000 in money in the banks; that isa good show- ing,” said Equalizer Arnold. “Yas,” replied Mr. Taylor, “the money is there, but moneyed men, while having money, can see no way to invest it favor- ably.” “You have property in Solano County,” said Equalizer Bemer. “Now, how does its revenue in that section compare with of $3,000,000 was invested in stocks and | your property in other locaities—say in San Francisco?”’ “I never saw the time I could realize profits in Solano County. As to costs of property heretofore, they were less in out- side counties than in San Francisco. I have property for sale in th.s latter place and can get no offer—my residence, for in- stance.” “Your residence is assessed for $5710. Now, what’s 1ts worth? What will you take?"” queried Mr. Morehouse. “I am not prepared to say. Icannot say that I am a judge. 1f I could get an offer, or if it was a place bringing rentals, I might be able to answer.” “You have a mortgage on that property of $5500, within $200 of what it is as- sessed,” said Mr. Bemer. “Thatis a good rate of mortgage, is it not?" “Well, perhaps the bank thinks so.” “But, Captain Taylor, you assert that property is assessed for its tull value, and yet you are unable to state the value of a piece of your own individual property. Now how can you consistently make such an assertion?” “I based my investigations on property proceeds from rentable property.” He had been talking with John D. Spreckels a few days before, and he had remarked to Spreckels that he hoped that the proposed CALL building would be the last building of that height to be erected in San Francisco. It struck the speaker that the investment was not a prudent business venture. Those sky-scrapers were a seri- ous detriment to the property near them, because they reduce the rents of the neigh- boring buildings. A discussion followed on the valuation of the St. Nicholas Hotel property and the Lick property. Mr. Herzer, in speaking of the latter, said: “The Lick property to-day is not paying 3 per cent on investment. I could take $1,000,000 and invest it to better advantage than in the Lick, assessed at $753,000 and bought by Fair at $1,200,000.” Mr. Bemer—Well, there is a good mar- gin between the assessed value and the porchase price. “Yes, there is. We don't care to do in- justice to any one. Property values have depreciated angd we have given them the benefit. I figure on the contracts in erect- ing the building and I don’t care if a build- ing is rated at $10,000,000 and is in reality worth but $5,000,000. I assess 1t at the lower figure.”” Mr. Beamer—How much more did it cost Claus Spreckels to buy his property than it would bring in open market? “He paid $620,000, which is at least $100,000 more than it is worth, and he threw that amount away.” After a long discussion of property values and assessments the newspaper property of the City received the attention of the board. Following is the list of as- sessments as read: Bulletin $1950, Repori $3380, Post $10,- 965, Chronicle $35,500, CaLL $40,000, Exam- iner $27,000. Equalizer Beamer—THE CALL sold a short time ago for $360,000. Now I see that although it is assessed higher than any other paper in the City vou have not valued it at anything like its cost price. How do you account for this? “Iam fully convinced,” answered the Assessor, “that the price was paid for the good will, and that is not assessable.” “Well, there was a new press purchased but a short time ago. What did that cost?” “It cost $60,000, but after being used it is rated as second-class property and I as- sessed it for $30,000.” Then Mayor Sutro’s property came under consideration, and in looking over the list it was discovered that the City’s executive possessed a $9 cow and $480 worth of headacne producer, and allusions were made to milk punches. After considerable desultory talk on valuations the session adjourned. SAN BERNARDINO'S ROAD. Sale of the Nevada Southern Railroad Ordered by the Court. Only a Prellminary Step to Re- Organization and Further Development. / SAN BERNARDINO, CaL., Aug. 28.—A decree of foreclosure and sale was made to-day in the Superior Court in the case of numerous creditors of the Nevada Southern Railroad Company, who have judgments aggregating $151,710. These claims are all for labor and material furnished during construction, and constitute a first lien on the property. The principal creditors are the Newport Lumber and Wharf Company, $31,000; Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, $80,000; Atchison, Topeka and Santz Fe Railroad, $8,000; Willamette Steam Mills, $3,000; Harper & Reynolds Company, $2,500; Giant Powder Company, $4,500; Culver & Little. Manufacturing Company, $3,000; i Bright & Crandall, $31,000; also eighteen mechanics and laborers, aggregating $10,000. All these claims, except those of Bright and Crandall and the Newport Lumber Company have been assigned to R. W. Woodbury, the Denver banker. The road will be sold by the Sheriff of this_county as soon as the sale can be ad- vertised, probably before October 1st. The prugeny is situated wholly in qhis county. These proceedingsare preliminary to the reorganization of the comfuny and the construction of 45 miles of new railroad from its present northern terminus at Manvel to Good Springs, Nev. Mr. Wood- bury is at the head of the enterprise, and }}as ample means of his own to build the ne. This extension will open up the largest | low-grade silver and gold mines in this | section of the country. It also givesaccess | to extensive water supplies in two valleys. | The extension will tap big bodies of min- eral suitable for flux. All these mining properties have long been waiting for the railroad to come to them and tal&e away the mountains of profitable ore. The ex- tension will open up the Las Vegas Valley, the finest cattle range in Southern Nevada. A representative of Mr. Woodbury said to-night that the construction of the new road would no_doubt begin before the snow flies. Mr. Woodbury is now dispos- ing of his interests in Denver and will move to Southern California early next spring. The decree made to-day disposes of the attachment suits brought some time since by the creditors of Isaac E. Blake, who at- tached the Nevada Southern together with othe:arrnpeny. Among the creditors were s:veral Ban Francisco men. As the claims for material and labor were a first lien on the railroad the aitachments could not lie. Blake built the Nevada Southern and is now in deep financial straits. S STRUCK BY A WATERSPOUT. Great Loss of Life and Property ina Mexi- ean Fillage. ZACATECAS, Mex., Aug. 28.—The vil- lage of Huatingo was visited by a water- spout on Monday, causing great loss of life and property. Many houses were washed = away and eight persons were drowned. The flood also destroyed all the crops in the valley. The storm came up very suddenly and the waterspout burst directly over town. PACIFIC COAST NEWS, Complications Yet Arise Over the New County Fee Bill. A RECENT PERPLEXITY. All Pensioners and County Claimants Believed to Be Affected by It. LEGAL OPINION ASKED FOR. The District Attorney of Santa Clara County WIll Render It Monday. SAN JOSE, CaL., Aug. 28.—The new fee bill for county officials, passed by the last Legislature, presents each day some new phase. The courts are kept busy passing on its provisions and the officers whom it affects are obliged to keep the statutes in constant use in carrying on the business of their offices. Perhaps the most perplexing part of the fee bill is that relating to the fees estab- lished for the County Clerk, and County Clerk Pfister, 1n order to comply with the new law in every respect and conduct his office in a proper manner, to the end that no criticism of his acts may follow any in- vestigation, has referred to District Attor- ney Herrington an important question regarding the collection from pensioners who swear to the correctness of their quarterly allowance from the Government, and all parties who make affidavit before the County Clerk asto the correctness of their claims against the county, the sum of 25 cents for each such affidavit. The law, as passed by the last Legis- lature, apparently makes it the duty of tne County Clerk to collect 25 cents for all affi- davits made before him. Previous to the passage of the act referred to pensioners and parties having claims against the county were not required to pay for the services above referred to. That portion of the law regarding the collection of the fee referred to reads as follows: “For taking any affidavit, except in criminal cases, 25 cents.” The concluding section of this act reads as follows: “Section 2. No fees or other compensa- tion shall be paia for certificate of declara- tion to become a citizen of the United States, and for making a record thereof, or for issuing a certificate of citizenship to become a citizen of the United States or for making a record thereof; and no fees or other compensation shall be paid for filing the statement and affidavit of a com- mittee or candidate voted for at any pub- lic election held within the State, and this section shall apply to all countiesin this State.” Section 2 of theabove act specially names the instances wherein the County Clerk shall not collect fees. . Pensioners and par- ties having claims against the county who make affidavit to their correctness before tbe County Clerk are, therefore, apparently required to pay for such service. This will impose a hardship on the per- sons interested, but the County Clerk, un- der the plain letter of tiie law, must collect the 25 cents for the affidavit. ‘Wednesday, September 4, is pension day and as ciaims against the county are being filed each day, the District Attorney has promised to file a written opinion in the matter with the County Clerk before next Monday, in time to permit the latter offi- cial to act with a better understanding on the question. County Clerks in several portions of the State are already collecting the fee in the cases referred to above. A BMISSING TEAM. It Turns Up in a Stable as Security for a 25-Cent Loan. SAN JOSE, CaL., Aug. 28.—Steve Tajada gave himself up at the police station this morning to answer to a charge of stealing a horse and cart belonging to Miguel Gon- zales. Tajada and a party of friends were visiting at Gonzales’ place. The supply of wine ran out, and Tajada and Antone Munoz took Gonzales’ cart to go after some more wine. They claim they tied the horse and cart in front of the winery while they were securing the wine, and when they came back the rig was gone. This story did not satisfy Gonzales, and he charged the men with grand larceny. Chief Kidward received word last night from Constable Matthews at Milpitas that the rig was in a stable at that place, where it had been pledged for 25 cents. The driver wanted $2, but the stableman sus- pected something was wrong, and refused to give him more than 25 cents. 'ajada and Munoz were arraigned be- fore Justice Dwyer to-day, and their ex- amination is set for to-morrow morning. KATE SMITH ANSWERS. Ubjects to Being Removed as Exccutrix of an Estate. SAN JOSE, CaL., Aug. 28.—Kate Smith filed an answer to-day to the petition of Francis W. Reid requiring her to show cause why she should not be removed as executrix of Peter W. Smith, deceased. She denies that for the last twenty years she has neglected to act as executrix, and denies that she sold the property in dis- pute to George Roberts, Hiram W. Platt or petitioner’s father, W. W. Reid, on Au- gust 26, 1872. She sets forth the claim that she hasan interest in the land. Sie further says that her second husband, Charles B. Lauthier, died in 1894, and that she is now unmarried and in every way qualified to act as executrix of theestate of Peter Smith. = Acquitted of ¥orgery. SAN JOSE, Carn., Aug. 28.—Edward Cummings was examined before Justice Gass to-day on a charge of forgery, pre- ferred by H. C. Newby, who conducts a bicycle agency on West Santa Clara street. Newby says that Cummings came to his place with an order, bearing the signature of D. C. Smith, for a bicycle. He tele- phoned to Mr. Smith about the order, and that gentleman pronounced the order a forgery. Mr. Smith was on the stand this morning, and again pronounced the order aforgery. As the testimony was ravher conflicticg and the defendant a mere boy, Deputy District Attorney Beasly moved that the charge be dismissed, and Justice Gass, after cautioning the 'ioung man to refrain from such acts in the future, dis- missed him. Epidemic of Burglaries. SAN JOSE, CaL., Aug. 28.—Last night bufrglars effected an entrance into the store of C. Hirth, on South First street, by re- moving several bricks in the rear wall of the building and then reaching inside and opening the iron shutters. The safe in the store was not touched and the men secured only $1 in the money-drawer. 5 A barn at the corner of Sixth and Wil- liam streets was entered last nightand a set of carpenter tools belonging to Ed- munds & Shepherds taken. i J.E. Valpby reported that a fine mare was stolen from his place at the corner of Sherman and Willow streets last night. Return of Rev. Dr, Haskell. SAN JOSE, CAL., Aug. 28.—Rev. W. A. Haskell. a prominent Unitarian divine, has returned to San Jose to resume the pastorate of the First Unitarian Church here. Under his charge a fine church was erected here. Two years ago he received a call from Unity Church of Denver, Colo.. one of the largest and most fashionable churches in that city, but Mrs. Haskell was unable to live there. Rev. Mr. Haskell will reach his first sermon next Sunday morn- ing, and Dr. C. W, Wendte and Dr. Horatio Stebbins of San Francisco will be present to welcome him back. Campbell’s Apricot Season Over. SAN JOSE, CAr., Aug. 28.—The apricot season is over at Campbell. The majority of the crop was handled by the Fruit- growers’ Union. The dryer handled 630 tons of apricots, 450 tons_being dried and 170 tons were shipped in a fresh state or sold to canners. In 1894 the union han- dled 1420 tons of apricots, which was an extraordinarily large crop. The 630 tons handled this yearis just about an average crop. The shrinkage in the curing was somewhat greater this season than last. A FRAUD AT SAN JGSE. Serious Charges Preferred by Silas Shirley and His Wife. Alleged Attempt to Swindle the Aged Couple Out of Their Property. SAN JOSE, CaL., Aug. 28.—Silas Shirley and Lucy Bhirley to-day began a suit against Thomas White, W. Lair Hill et al. to have a deed and subsequent mortgage s€t aside on the grounds that they were procured through fraud. The plaintiffs, who are over 70 years of age, allege that they were the owners of a tract of thirty acres of land of the Milpitas rancho; also a lot of land 13714 feet square on the north- east corner of Seventh and Empire streets; atract adjoining, having 137}¢ feet front on Empire street by 275 on Eighth street; another tract of 9214 feet front on Seventh street adjoining the first named, and a :m‘:’t of farm land containing 359.8 acres of and. The lands transferred are worth* $18,000. The old couple worried because these lands were heavily mortgaged, and on the 14th of May, 1895, visited White in S8an Fran- cisco to see if they could not dispose of the gropeny. They again visited White on May 25, when he represented that he was immensely wealthy and in control of the | “Consolidated Red Rock Mining Com- pany” in Oregon, which was capitalized with $11,000,000, and that that amount of gold was in sight. White pretended to be independent in fortune and had concluded to set apart some of it for charitable purposes. It is alleged that he imposed on the infirmities of the plaintiffs and induced them to part with thexrop{:rtydescribed in lieu of what purported to be $40,000 worth of stock in the mine. White also promised to pay the $7000 indebtedness of the Shirleys. On investigation it was found that the mine was worth $12,000, and that White wasn’t even a shareholder, and the pre- tended certificate and transfer of stock was wholly valueless. Further it is alleged that instead of be- ing a multi-millionaire or able to puy the indebtedness on the property, White was in fact insolvent and his representations on the whole were designed to eneat the laintiffs out of their property. Since the transfer was made White mortgaged the Milgitas ranch on May 28 to Hill for $60,000 which, it is alleged, was without consideration and was designed to further the fraud. 1t is sought by the suit to recover all the Eroperty and cause the $60,000 mortgage to e declared fraudulent. Part of the Empire-street property is now about to be sol? under a foreclosure proceeding by David Jacks, who holdsa genuine mortgage. Attorney O. O. Felk- ner represents the; plaintiffs, filss T, EXCITEMENT AT MODESTO. It Is Created by « Street Encounter Be- tween Two Citizens. MODESTO, Car., Aug. 28.—Considera- ble excitement was created here this after- noon by an encounter between C. A. Stone- sifer, an attorney, and S. L. Hanscom, ex- editor of the Modesto Herald, and now a schoolteacher. Hanscom approached Stonesifer from behind and slapped him in the face. Stonesifer turned, asking what was meant. Hanscom said “fight.” Passes were made when Stonesifer drew a pocket knife an struck at Hanscom, cutting his clothes across the chest.” As he struck the knife- gundle broke, breaking the force of the low. Constable 0’Donnell separated them, ar- resting both. Hanscom pleaded guilty an(_‘lI tvrzm fined $10. Stonesifer pleaded not guilty. The enmity was created by Stonesifer being prosecuting attorney in” a criminal case against Hanscom and then defeating him in a civil sui O0OAST NEWS IN BRIEF. Condensed From Special Telegrams to *The Call.”” At the Salem, Or., Insane Asylum August Dullur, an Austrian aged 37, took his life by strangulation. Judge Humes of Seattle has sentenced Henry Craemer to be haneed November 1 for the g“:)’ed“ of Mrs. Phillipina Mueller and her abe. Shipman Newkirk, a young rancher residing on a Government claim near Tacoma, commit- :led.su(ctde by shooting himself through the ead. The decision of Judge Hanford in the famous Northern Pacific Railroad case to oust Receiy- ers Oakes, Payne and Rouse will, it isexpected, ‘be handed down at Seattle September 1. Fritz Wichman, a driver em{loyed on the Redding stage line of Golinsky & Co., was thrown from the stage while on his trip be- tween the Clipper and Uncle Sam mines and 3 PACIFIC COAST NEWS, Yuma Desert Mining Properties in Strong Demand. LARGE SUMS INVESTED. One Company Just Organized With a Capital of Two Millions. JUDGMENT OF AN EXPERT. The Whole Country Sald to Be Tracked Over With Rich Leads of Ore. SAN BERNARDINO, Car., Aug, 28.— The develoyment of mines and the intro- duction of capital into the disirict on the Yuma desert, made famous by the Me- Haney brothers’ great strike in the Desert Queen mine, are going ahead so fast that they can scarcely be chronicled. To-day THE UALL'S correspondent learned from Dr. J. C. C. Price of the formation ot a company with a larger capital than any other company in Southern California which will operate in the Twenty-nine Palms district. It is the Printher, Price & Burnap Mining and Milling Company, whose headquarters will be at Los Angeles. The capital stock fully paid up is$2,000,000, and the stockholders reside in England and the East. Dr. Price is the superintend- ent. He has had a wide experience in Australia and the Transvaal. He wasin the city to-day, and said: “The whole country there is tracked over with rich leads of ore. Orly a begin- ning has been made. People who have not been over the ground or who are not miners have no conception of what those barren hills and mountains conceal. It is the coming gold-mining center of the world.” This expression comes from a man of world-wide experience, who has no prop- erty to sell. The company owns the San Bernardino mine, the Two Gilberts, the Ellerby, Going, Sophia, Pinther, Price and others in the vicinity of Twenty-nine Palms, from which assays have been made running in value all the way from $200 to $15,000 to the ton. The company, with its large capital fully paid up, is in shape to purchase and develop property as it sees fit, and it is a part of Dr. Price’s purpose in his present trip to the desert to inspect a number of claims owned in this city which his company contemplates pur- chasing. Development now awaits only the pur- chase or lease of water rights, and to se- cure these is Dr. Price’s special mission at this time. Two mills, having forty-five stamps, have been ordered at Los Angeles, and will be shipped to the minesas soon as water is secured to operate them. They will be located within ten miles of the Mc- Haneys’ Desert Queen. Dr. Price has ex- pressed the opinion that there existed on the Yuma desert the foundation for one of the most profitable as well as most perma- nent mining camps the world has ever known. — BURGLARS AT WALLACE. They Hold Up the Pacific Ex~ press Agent and Secure $400. He Is Given No Chance to Resist, The Bandits Overlook Valu- able Packages. SPOKANE, Wasn., Aug. 28.—The agent of the Pacific Express Company at Wallace, Idaho, had an encounter with two bur- glars last evening. It was about 10 o’clock when he started to make up hiscash in the depot of the Oregon Railroad and Naviga- tion Company. His back was toward the door, and when he turned around he was confronted by two masked men with guns, who re- quested him to deliver over the cash. As the safe was unlocked, the bandits pro- ceeded to go through it. There was but little money on hand, and they secured only about $400. They appeared to be in a great hurry and seemed rather new at the business, for they overlooked several packages contain- ing considerable money. The night was very dark, and although the two men were seen by by-standers to leave the depot they were not recognized, and thereis no clew to the robbers. COLONEL HOLLISTER'S ESTATE. It Is Being Distributed to Certain of His Heirs. SANTA BARBARA, Can, Aung. 28.— Considerable property belonging to the estate of the late Colonel Hollister has been transferred to certain of the heirs in settiement of the estate. A deed has just been placed on record transferring to Jeanie B. Hale, Harold A., John J. and Stanley Hollister, all of the Santa Anita ranch, the upper and lower Gaviota ranches*and a portion of the Rancho Nuestro Senora de Refugio, the consideration named being $100.000, a sum considerably less than the appraised value of the lands. Wai his left leg was broken. for the Big Alteration Sale. Clothing at cut-in-two prices for just a few days. Starts Saturday morning at 9:30. Full particulars to- morrow in this paper. H. SUMMERFIELD & €O, 924-930 Market Street.