The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 24, 1895, Page 2

e e THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1895. Ll e seainaee T day. He would never suspect the round- about course through which it came, from Morgan’s banker to Morgan, from Morgan to Bill Chamberlain, from Bill Chamber- lain to a dozen others, among them Bill Freeman, until there grew to be a senti- ment that Boggs was the man to protect the city’s dollars from making their escape from the hand of the heeler. And so it came about that Boggs and George Kandle, Republican, were elected Treasurer and Mayor respectively to succeed Rice and Wheeler. Kandle was a mistake—a mis- take that came about through so many new voters crowding in from the East, all Republicans, it having been intended to elect Boges and Rice, but that could be remedied. Tacoma was, as we may say, just now blossoming into full womanhood from a sweet young maidenhood. There were no bonds. few debts, no streets improved; city government was inexpensive and there was a little money in the treasury. Here was an opportunity not to be over- looked. A new charter formulated by a board of freeholders showed great promise of an un- interrapted reign for the party succeeding in the election. There was a Board of Public Works, to whom extraordinary powers were given, a cjty engineer, a city attorney and assistant,a street superin- tendent, a building inspector, a plumbing inspector, a sewer superintendent, a chief of police and, by a prearranged plan, whereby a water company man, who had been elected, but who never intended to qualify and who refused to do so, there was also a city controller to be appointed by the Mayor. Now, George Kandle was one of those eminently respectable gentlemen of whom party bosses are proud, to give a color of genuineness to their ticket. It wasnever intended he should be elected—indeed, Morgan was a hot Rice man—Rice had been renominated on the Democratic ticket; but a new factor had come into politics the person of J. J. Malone of Kansas City, a gambler and politician of the smoothest type. He was a Democrat; but party fealty was with him an unknown ty. 1f Rice succeeded Mart Dilion d be Chief of Police and Morgan *boss gambler,” therefore Malone took counsel of Charley Sullivan and Sam Milligan, whom he had known back in Kansas, and rked a surprise party for Harry Mor- 1. Kandle and the ‘whole Republican ticket were elected. Then followed Hough- ton’s refusal to serve as Controller. Ma- lone and Morgan were thus by circum- es driven into a political partnership; but Morgan conveniently and accommo- datingly died of too much ‘“hop,” even ile his friends were preparing to send m to Dwight for treatment, leaving Bill Chamberlain his successor and adminis- trator. How Morgan’s vast estate was wasted is a romantic tale, but that’s an- r story., Malone had strings enough on the coun- cil, which composed of as corrupta lot of men as ever got together, to compel | Kandle to appoint whom he wished, since confirmation by the Couneil was necessar: Therefore, it came to pass that Frea T lor, owner of about half the Opera-alley houses, was made Controlle; . W. Clin- ton, Street Superintendent; Byron Bar- low, Joe Hodgins and Colin Melntosh, members of the Board of Public Works; Sam Milligan, City Attorney,and W. F. v, an unknown, Chief of Police. y had been recommended by the Christian element and influence, and was not opposed by the gamblers. The sequel shows with what reason. Now followed an administration of the ay- wildest extravagance and utmost corrup- tion. Streets were graded and contracts let for the improvement at exorbitant prices to favored bidders, specificati ing altered after contract to suit the con- tractor. Money flowed like water. Boggs, with whom the story deals, was carricd along in the mad whirl. Drunken de- bauches were of nightly occurre Tay lor visited his Opera-alley resort: ving his friends of the Council and administra- tion with him. Zwickey levied blackmail right and left on gamblers, variety theat- ers, saloon-keepers and women of the town. Boggs spent hundreds of dollars nightly in debauchery. Clinton, Street Superintendent, made hundreds out of commissions on supplies and kept a fine team of horses at the city's expense. Boggs openly speculated,in city warrants, which were being issued at the rate of over $50,000 a month, buying them over the counter at the city treasury and sell- ing them at an advance of 2 per cent: He made no secret of it—indeed boasted of his financiering and was applauded by the bankers with whom he dealt without favor, because he had brought to a par warrants that had been previously quoted below. Fortunes were making in those days; real estate speculation had run mad, and with the festering pool of cor- ruption at the City Hall there was a big chance to make money in contracts. Buat as this story is to deal with Boggs, only a hint of those things, sufficient to show the atmosphere in which the Boggs idea was fostered, can be given. Boggs was the general favorite of the bankers. He kept large balances scattered among them with an impartiality that knew no favorites and bred no discontent; and then he called in no warrants, but kept the city’s funds in circulation. As an instance of his methods let me relate one point: He found that Eastern war- rant-buyers were eager for Tacoma 10-per- cent warrants and that he could get 1 or 2 per cent commission and accrued interest on them through local bankers and brok- ers, but that they could handle them bet- ter if the warrants were of large amounts. Boggs had a wonderful influence with the Council, so he procured the passage of a resolution requiring all city emnloyes to be paid in cash atthe Treasurer’s office, warrants to the total amount of the pay- roll to be drawn in $500 each to the order of George W. Boggs, City Treasurer. This was ostensibly done to give all city em- ployes the benefit of cash payments in- stead of warrants, which, it was about that time conveniently discovered, banks would mot buy at par (except from the City Treasurer, to whom they gave a premium). The war- rants were consequently drawn to the or- der of George W. Boggs, City Treasurer, in $500 each, the payrolls duly paid and the warrants delivered to banks and brokers atthe usual premium. This practice had gone on for several months before it was discovered that Eastern buyers wouldn’t touch them at any price, simply because, having been drawn to the order of the City Treasurer, they bore upon their face the evidence of having been once paid, not- withstanding the indorsement, “Not paid for want of funds.” It became apparent that the City Treasurer must have re- ceived cash for these warrants and that, having received cash for them, they were of value to no one as receipts. Now, here was a dilemma. The practice ceased as’ suddenly as it bezan, and the banks held these warrants to Boggs' credit as so much cash. To manipulate the Council and manage] all these affairs pro“e'rly cost Boggs big money. Grattan H. Wheeler, an ex-City Treasurer, mean- while had his_eye on Boggs and the main chance as ‘well.” Then came the issue of funding bonds to relieve some mistakes in the warrant deals and the City Hall bonds to recompense the plotters in that job; these afforded Boggs relief and more funds w\vngg]e with. . Wheeler wanted a piece of all this *‘good raft,” and so be organized a bank—the wommercial~and Harry Lombard. he Wwho, be- operated the Japanese village at the Mid- winter Fair, wanted a piece, and he organ- ized a bank; so did W.G. Peters, and he organized two banks—one a National and the other a savings bank—and Harry Ball got one together in a hurry for fear all would escape betore he got a finger in the pie, and so there came to be almost as many banks in town as saloons and quite as truly factors in politics. Therefore, when it became necessary for Boggs to be re-elected he had a powerful backing. Frank Lane made it hot for Boggs—kept firing hot shot into his camp day after day and at the entire administration—exposed its rottenness, showed up the steals, proved Boggs a lier and a thief, made it so warm for Zwickey he had to resign, and his chief blackmailer was removed. Not a day went by but the News exposed some new rascality, and there seemed no doubt but that Campbell would succeed Boggs and Parker defeat Huson for Mayor at the election soon following. Heroic measures were necessary. His bank sent for Camp- bell and told him that a business man had no right to enter politics, and they must ask a settlement of their account. The Ledeger, now passed from Rade- baugh’s control into the hands of Schulze, Anderson and Bennett, boosted Huson and defended Boggs. The Globe wasdead, absorbed by the Ledger, and the campaign was drawing to a close, with every chance in favor of Parker and Campvbell. A day or two before election an immense corruption fund was raised among the banks; a gigantic torchlight procession wes organized, with fully 3000 men in line, on the night before election; money was voured out like water. Boggs personally visited every saloon in town, accompanied by Huson. Gold was piled “I’ on the bars and spent with the prodigali lionaire by Boggs. But the Christian in- fluence was nat overlooked. That night Parker was indiscreet enough to offer bets on his own election. The Ledger came out with glaring headlines on election of a mil- | ready for the Supreme Court, were filed on the same day, a pro forma decision entered by Judge Parker against the bonds, and the matter taken to the Supreme Court in the brief space of twenty-four hours. Here a decision was rendered, reversing Parker by the very peculiar method of declaring all the purchase bonds within the limit, and extension bonds to the amount of $330,000 within tne limit also, but declar- ing the remainder void. The fogic of this decision was to bring the Supreme Court immediately into contempt and under sus- picion. : Then came the floating of the bonds. Boggs meantime had continued his war- rant speculations, but had also stepped outside into other speculations, investing money in stocks of various schemes. One, the International Wrecking Company, particularly, promised large returns that never materialized. The penitentiary stared him 1n the face, and in his despera- tion he had to turn to new resources. The banks began to fear him. He became a master.. They must feed him. Some dis- creetly withdrew their connections when he tried to force warrants upon them for which there was no sale. Here Wheeler came to the front, having been crowded out of the'Commercial Bank, by organ- izing the Imperial Loan and Trust Com- pany, with Mayor Huson as president and George W. Boggs, Grattan H. Wheeler and A. V. Fawecett, prospective Democratic candidate for Mayor, as directors. The purpose of this institution was to deal in warrants. ‘Shortly afterward the Mer- chants’ National Baunk failed, with city money on deposit, followed by the Tacoma National and the Washington National, all with city money. The Traders also failed, but had no_deposit. The Tacoma Trust and Savings Bank, with Nelson Ben- nett, president of the Merchants' Na- tional, as its president, w 5 ened, but weathered the storm by a reor- ganization, in which Bennett and Thomp- | son of the Merchants' disappeared from its TACOMA’S CITY HALL AND COURTHOUSE, WHERE RAIDS UPON THE TREASURY WERE P LANNED AND EXECUTED. - morning, **Gambler Parker,” describing the old gentleman’s anxiety to bet on him- self as the uncontrollable mstinct of a gambler, instead of, as it really was, the pbad advice of a sporty son-in-law, who thought to thus put a stop to the mfiuence that the offers of odds made by Re- publican heelers would have on the floating vote. Then the ministerial alliance was indaced to indorse Huson. On the day before election the fight against Boggs and Huson made by the Democrats, was easily won. election morning the fight had all to be begun over again. made to voters, but the city’s mone) thrown into the breach the night before,had done effective work. It was hard to stem the tide, yet it was nobly undertaken. Thousands in gold were paid to longshore- men’s and other organizations by the Republicans, and yet, when the polls closed, it was conceded that the Democrats had won and Boggs and Huson were defeated. There was great rejoicing; but the vote was close, some precincts were held back, and the official canvass revealed a majority of about forty for Boggs and Huson. Campbell was going to contest on the grouna of fraud, but bank pressure was brought to bear on bim and he subsided into private life. Boggs was vindicated! And a new job was immediately set up to profit by the vindication. As developments now disclose Boggs was even then short in his accounts and the money used to re-elect him made the breach greater. A nervy fellow, however, he made the supreme effort, risked all to save himself, and as is now well known and admitted won by being “counted in.” The Huson administration began the immediate consideration of the purchase of the plant and sources of supply of the Tacoma Light and Water Company at 2,000,000. A strong sentiment had grown up in the community against this com- pany, both for its influence in political affairs, tor its high-priced service and its impure water. The people wanted to re- voke its franchise, build a competing plant or buy the company out. But when the price of §2,000,000 was named people saw in it the shadow of an immense job. At last the price was, after much fictitious “haggling,” fixed at $1,750,000, and the people were asked to vote bonds in the sum of $2,500,000 for the purpose of pur- chasing and extending the plant. Public sentiment was all against the proposition, and it was never thought it could possibly carry, hence organization to defeat it was neglected. All the newspapers, without exception, advocated the purchase, but the people laughed wisely and at the time the Council decided to submit the ques- tion the sentiment against the pnr&)ase was as two to one. But just a¥ this time, in the spring of 1893, came a stringency in the money mar- ket; Boges and the banks found ‘them- selves loaded to the muzzle with city war- rants that were unsalable at the East; the boom subsided; ‘‘fake” street improve- ments were no longer possible; there had come a change in political sentiment; the banks were all uneasy; Eastern money was no longer to be had, but there was hope of relief in the water extension bonds. This money would go into the banks and strengthen them. Commercial houses found it hard to procure accommodations, and the bankers whispered to their cus- tomers that if the project carried there would be plenty of money put iuto circu- lation through the water extension, and | the hard times would ease up; and, furthermore, the water company and its allied interests caused the rumor to be cir- culated that the million and three-quar- ters would be used to build the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway into Ta- coma. C. B. Wright, the owner of the ‘Water and Land companies, and a very important element in the Northern Pacific, was said to haye a controlling influence the “Q"” road. In order to make plausible this story, Wright procured control of the Tacoma and Eastern Railway, which was headed toward the Nisqually pass of the Cascades. Sentiment gradually began to change. Boggs and the banks, seeing relief in the extension moneys, began an active cam- paign. City monéy to the amount of $25,000 is reported by a City Councilman to have been used by Boggs in the election. At all events the proposition carried. W came a test of the validity of the action. One Corell, a lawyer, attorney for the Light and Water Company, had n during all these preliminaries president of the City Council. He had drawn up all the ordinances and all the forms and reso- lutions, contracts, etc. He had been on all the committees to conduct negotia- tions, and thronghout had engineered the entire deal, having had as a ‘“cover” a weak and pliable City Attorney. This subsequently appeared in suits of various kinds against the company, Corell himself testifying that he acted as attorney for the company while president of the Council. Still in the capacity of the company’s attorney a suit was brought against the city to enjoin the issuance of bonds on the ground that , they were above the consti- tutional limit. The City Attorney ap- peared for the city; the complaint, an- swer, notice of Apyeaf, brief for appellant But on | Orators were sent to | every polling-place, and strong apveals | directorate and the lmperial Loan and | Trust Company was consolidated with it as the Bank of Tacoma. - Boggs now became the patron saint of | this institution. The light and water pur- | chase and extension bonds were sold to | Charles B. Wright. He agreed to pay the | money at a certain time, but failed to keep his agreement, and now, f divers for detail, the opposition party be- came strong and there came a revulsion of | public sentiment setting strongly agz the deal. The Council declared the w off. The Wright-Boggs-banks ¢ urged an extension of the time of ment; Bennett, now in control of the Ledger, urged it; a citizens’ meeting, com- | posed of bankers, urged it; a Chamber of Commerce committee urged it; Boggs, dis- tracted, urged it. Attorneys Shackelford, Titlow and Whitehouse, haying been en- | gaged by the city as special counsel, and | being of the opposition party, were active to prevent a consummation of the deal, why will appear from their statement, published in the Tacoma News of Novem- er 2, 1895: 5 Mr. Boggs was at that time needing v very badly he tried to prevent this. We made a tour of all the banks of Ta- coma that held city money and with the greatest courtesy and kindness were given mformation concerning the city deposits, and in some instances the binkbooks were turned over to us for inspection, We | found at that time that all the actual cash | subject to check which Boggs had on hand | in all the banks was but $42,000. We went before the Council on two successive Sat- urdays and tried to get the Council to hold these bonds to compel Wright to carry out his contract and prevent Boggs from get- ting the money, as we knew he was short in his accounts, for_he should at that time have had on deposit_in the banks subject to check something like $500,000. “For two successive meetings of the Council we prevented Boggs from getting | this money. Just after the close of the second meeting, when the Council had voted to stay with us and keep the money from Boggs, Mr. Boggs burst out crying, saying to us: *You've got me; you’ve got me; you've caught me at last.” About thirty minutes after this Mr. Boggs had become apparently violently insane and threatened death and destruction to us, and followed us from the City Hall to Ninth street, threatening at every step to kill us, S.T. Armstrong having him by the arm and trying to quiet him.” The pressure on the City Council through the medium of banks and “tax- payers'’ was so great that they finally {eel_ded, accepted an indemnity bond of Tight, signed by W. D. Tyler and other bankers, and delivered the water and light bonds to Wright, and Boggs got the money | in installments at intervals covering nearly a year. . How to prevent the Council from the immediate expenditure of these funds wus Boggs’ problem. The precarious condi- tion of banks was such that they did not want to be disturbed in the possession of what money they had, and ail hoped to be able to float Boggs’ accumulated warrants and thus relieve the situation. So the City Council was indaced to pass a resolution instructing Boggs to invest—think of the ridiculousness of it!—the extension mon- eysin general fund warrants, even as a merchant might instruet his bookkeeper to go out and ““invest’’ his surplus in his own notes of hand. But 1t satisfied Ta- coma financiers, because it gave them money instead of warrants to hold. There- after everything passed smoothly endugh until February, 1894, when the City Coun- cil suddenly ordered the extension moneys deposited in six banks, not naming them, and requiring interest to be paid. _This gave Boggs a twinge. The Tacoma National and Traders had resumed busi- ness long enough to get a deposit of exten sion moneys and had thereupon closed up again. The people were by this time pretty weli advised that there was no money in the city treasury. Treasury and bank balances showed over $700,000 on hand, bat there was no cash to pay warrants with and it became an open “secret that the banks having the largest city deposits had the least abilivy to pay. Bogfis term was ex- piring; he was not eligible to re-election. One James W. McCauley, a former baker of Los Angeles, was selected by Boggs as his sncecessor, and as before an immense corruption fund was subscribed by banks and others concerned with him to procure McCauley’s election. A newspaper—the Morning” Union — feared as a possible enemy, was purchased outright and run_in the interest of Boggs and McCauley; the Ledger supported him, the News alone opposing. -But new elements had entered into politics and McCauley’s election was encompassed by a large plurality. Some Populists had been elected to the City Council and there was a great deal of loud talk about count- ing the city’s money, not accepting war- rants, etc., and Boggs, who on Xprix 1 had reported “$212,000 of unindorsed warrants heid as cash’’ became distressed. He had little difficulty, however, in getting Grat- tan H. Wheeler’s bank of Tacoma, with a side issue called thc Mutual Investment Company, to handle the warrants, together with the State Savings Bank, the Columbia National Bank, the Commercial Bank and L g and brief for respondent, all prigted uh'.ho German American Bank, all now de- | funct. Settlement with his successor was never made, McCauley assumed office, checked against Boggs’ bank accounts, got money out of them when he coula and when he couldn’t used the current revenues. He tollowed naturally enough his predeces- sor’s lead. He got $1000 into Harry Lom- bard’s State Savinygs Bank a day or two be- fore it failed, and Harry went to the Jap- anese village, The failure of that house put Whitehouse in as receiver and re- sulted in Boggs’ arrest and prosecution, though he was acquitted, and revealed that Boggs had deposited not only warrants, but notes of his own and othersas city funds, and that the bank had subscribed by thousands to the campaign fund under the head of “election expenses.” S zgs was acquitted because the evi- dence against him was wholly that of another’s making—i. e., the books of the bank, which, the court held, were conclu- sive as against the man who made the en- tries, but as against no one else, and so Boggs escaped without a verdict from the jury, went to Oregon and bought a gold mine, which he was operating when ar- rested again, a few days ago. . McCauley assumed’ office in April, 1894, and almost immediately built an elegant residence, furnishing it resplendently with the costliest of goods. Grattan H. Wheeler went to New York as the agent of the Mutual Inyestment Company. W. B. Allen, president of the Bank of Tacoma, took hundreds of thousands of city war- rants and went to Chicago to attempt to dispose of them. A deal was engineered through the City Council whereby bonds and securities were demanded of every bank having city money on deposit, and a contract was made with the Bank of Ta- coma permitting it to remain undisturbed for one year. It was the approach of the close of this year of grace, together with the appoint- ment of a new finance committee that brought suddenly to a close the career of the Bank of Tacoma, with some $228,000 of city money ostensibly on deposit there. An assignment was made to a friend of the president, but the court appointed Tilton recever. ' The books were stolen before the receiver could get possession, bat enough was left behind to show that Boggs had been borrower to the extent of over $50,000 that he had overdrawn; that he had had $18,000 for “clection expenses” ; that Whee- ler was sent remittances monthly of hun- dreds of dollars and that Boggs’ deposits had consisted of cash, notes, warrants or “any old thing.” Now, then, had come a time for the banks and brokers from whom Boggs had cut loose to get their revenge. The Colum- bia National was the next largest depos- itory of city funds, At one time over $210,000 had appeared to the city’s credit. It wis also the depository for large amounts of county funds. A job was set up whereby the Commissioners should de- mand a count of the county’s funds. It was done. Every bank having county funds was required to *‘dig up” the full amount in coin. The Columbia National was forced to take its best securities to a rival to procure fands to carry on business and at the same time meet the county’s demand. It was met, however, the bank’s officers apparently expecting to get their gold back next day and go on with busi- ness, The Commissioners, having once well housed their treasure, put a guard about it and would not allow it to go back. The scheme had worked. The Columbia Bank had then pending in the Controller’s office an application for a stock assessment, whereby it claimed it would be able to meet all demands. It owed the city over $100,000, while its side issue, the German- American, owed some $58,000. The city, at the same time, had pending a demand on the Columbia for $16,500, to meet the semi-annual interest on_City Hall and funding funds at New York City. Now began in earnest a fight for life—on the one hand the Columbia and German- American struggling for a respite, and on the other all the banks of the city to force tbem out, % In order to gain time a suit by the twin banks was begun to cancel all their obli- gations to the city on the ground that its deposits with the banks consisted of war- the vajidity of which the city de- d that therefore the banks owed the city nothing. The city then brought suit for a receiver for the German-Ameri- can and it was hotly contested. The court granted a receiver. An appeal was taken and denied and the receiver put in possession through force. The books, se- curities, cash and vouchers were not there, having been taken into the Columbia National’s vaults. Political strinfs began to be pulled on the Controller of the Currency to compel him 10 appoint a receiver for the Colum- bia. The bank, however, had strong aili- ances East and a counter pressure was being exerted. However, Bank Examiner Clary was enlisted and he teiegraphed his superior, with the result that he was ordered to take possession. No receiver has yet been appointed. Thus ended a most remarkable fight for existence, the inside history of which would make a romance of itcelf, the con- tending interests being shown—a cashier fighting away from prison eates; a set of stockholders at the East strongly desirous of preventing a failure, many of whom had voluntarily come to the rescue with large sums of money; a lot of warrants somewhere, either sold or unsold, liability on which was the same whether void or valid; the best securities tied up to pro- cure a supposedly temporary loan. The receiver of the German-American having gained possession, the cashier of that instifution gave up hope and made a clean breast of all its operations, telling of how both Boggs and McCauley had been in receipt of regular salaries from the bank and implicating the officers of the Columbia National in extensive frauds upon the city and county. Notes of Boggs for $11,300 were also found among the securities supposed to belong to this bank in the vaults of the Columbia. The result of these exposures was the arrest of Boggs, the removal of McCauley from office and his subsequent arrest, the arfest of Peters, the cashier, and of the County Treasurer. Public clamor now is for the arrest of all in any wise concerned in the encouragement of'BoEfzu in his evil practices—those who paid him commis- sionsand aided him in covering up his de- fi with fictitious bank deposits and all whom the law can in any wise reach. My judgment of the situation is, how- ever, tha. so many and so prominent are the persons implicated, and so multifari- ous are the ramifications of the city war- rant, bond and bank plot, that all engaged in it will never be brought to punishment. A few scapegoats may be made samples of, but the real culprits—those even worse than Boggs himself, who profited by the scheme ‘which gave him hundreds of thousands more to juggle with, and who, to carry their scheme through, corrupted men high and low—myv judgment is, I say, that these men will escape a just and righteous punishment. I say so because to-day, among those most clamorous for the punishment of Boggs and his acces- sories are the ones who engineered and giloted through the gigantic deal of 2,080,000 by which Boggs was supplied with funds to continue his operations. _ Do you ask me for my opinion as to who is to blame? The people, taxpayers, citi- zens, merchants, business men, who have 1ot only tolerated corruption in this but in every other branch of municipal gov- ernment, and not onlf’ tolerated it, but, if all that has been told me be true, have fostered it, nurtured it, encouraged it, be- cause of an apparent profit to them. But now that the resultof it takes form ina burden of nearly four millions debt, an empty treasury and a disgraced name, too late they condemn it. Five years ago had the public conscience been awake Tacoma need not now be in sackcloth and ashes. The-record I have written is of five years. It comes as the natural expression of the methods that have dominated the North- ern Pacific Railway Company. Corrupt as 'acoma’s political histery bas been, it is not nearly so corrupt as the suicide of Paul Schulze has revealed the inside his- tory of the Morthern Pacific Company to have been, and ‘it iz because of the tools this company and its satellites chose to do its bidding in municipal affairs that Ta- coma bieeds to-day. Once elected, the tools were not content to stop when the master’s work was accomplished, but on their own account tried a ‘‘flier” at finan- ciering, MARGEB: GOSSIPFROMGOTHAM General Harrison Puzzled Politicians While in Town. PLANS OF HIS FRIENDS. They Propose to Give Warner Miller Second Place on the Ticket. KEIR HARDIE, THE AGITATOR. Delivered a Farewell Address Under the Auspices of the Socialist Labor Party. NEW YORK, N. Y., Nov. 23.—General Benjamin F. Harrison, after a week's stay in this city, the object of which has been a puzzle to many politicians, will start for Saratoga to-day to visit his daughter, Mrs. McKee, and Ben McKee, his grandson. Political gossip was brisk last night as the result of his visit here and the general opinion seemed to be that the ex-President has strengthened his fences during his week’s stay in town. According to a rumor current an agree- ment has been formed that may repay the ex-President for his visit to this State. General Harrison, ex-Senator Warner Mil- ler and Chauncey M. Devew, it is said, are parties to the agreement. The plan of General Harrison's friends is to make Har- rison and Miller the National ticket next year. Chauncey M. Depew will cuta figure in the campaign, it is said, and,may take it into his head to accept a Cabinet posi- tion in case General Harrison be nomi- nated and elected. The plan will lead o a split, it is said, in the delegation to the Republican Na- tional Convention from this State. The State orgamization of the party and such delegates as it may be able to elect will be for Governor Morton first and for Reed as second choice, unless circumstances change before the convention meets. General Harrison has some friends in the State upon whom he can always call. Next to Depew and Miller are several members of the Union League Club. This Presidential feeling has indeed reached a point that there are always murmurs, ac- cording to rumor, of a coming contest for the presidency of the Unicn League Club for the ensuing year. In Pennsylvania a similar state of affairs exists, and it is admitted generally that the friends of Reed and Harrison will fight for the majority control of the delegation to the National Convention from the Key- stone State. Christopher Magee, David Martin, Governor Hastings, Andrew Car- negie and John Wanamaker are all avowed Harrison men,while Senator Quay, with the tremendous influence he exerts, is supposed to favor the man from Maine. Senator Procter in Vermont, General Alger in Michigan, James 8. Ciarkson in Towa, ‘General Michener in Indiana, Sen- ator Elkins in West Virginia, Richard C. Kerens in Missouri and Senator Thomas H. Carter in Montana, it is alleged, are some of those interested in the Harrison and Miller boom. General Ciarkson, while avowedly for Senator Allison’s nomina- tion, has been won over, according to rumor, to support General Harrison, if the tight between him and Reed and Mc- Kinley grows hot. Keir Hardie, the English socalist leader, delivered a farewell address last night under the auspices of the Sccialist Labor varty of New York, in Webster Hall. Hardie said that when he was in the West and Northwest he found great dissatisfaction with the existing condition of affairs, and that when nhe asked what the farmers and cowboys were going to do to right things they pointed to their Win- chester rifles and said, “Bullets, if ballots fail.” Mr. Hardie said he had been ‘‘all over the country and had observed its great| wealtn and resources,’” and added: *‘Yet with all this wealth I have seen more misery and poverty in your great cities than exists in London, white England has not one-tenth of the advantages of Amer- ica.” Hardie said the trades unions and the Socialist party should stand together until the latter had dcne away with the neces- sity for the former. Ie urged the neces- sity of an interpational socialist labor party, and said chat he hoped that the socialist congress in London next year would be followed by an international socialist congress in this country the year following. He sails to-day on the Cam- pania. Kate Field does not believe that many women desire to vote, although she be- lieves in their inherent right to the ballot. She says in an interview on the subject: “Women are not sufficiently enlightened on the subject to want suffrage, and I am not so sure that 1t is wise to give peopls anything unless they show a deeire for ir. They would be just like deadheads, who always growl. They neverappreciate what they get, while those who pay their way sit out the show and generally like it. “I believe in the justice of woman's suffrage. I believe they have as much right to it as men, and I do not agree with Bishop Doane’s article in the North Amer- ican Review that evervthing will go to ‘demnition bow-wows.” I don’t find that women in Wyoming and Colorado are a bit different from women in the States where they have no suffrage. £ ““Women want some mental dissipation. They want to get out of the humdrum ex- istence they lead. Men have their clubs and political meetings and such things to give spice to their lives, but do not appre- ciate the narrowness of the circle in which women move. When women have such serious things as politics to interest them they will drop a great deal that is tritling. “If any one in the world could reduce the number of hours women devote to shopping what a blessing it would be. There are no gadders on earth like the American woman. If they gadded to some purpose—if they took up fine cooking or esthetic dressing, for instance, it would be different.” A remarkably interesting and brilliant performance of ‘‘Lohengrin” was given last night at the Metropolitan Opera- house. Every one was in good voice. Anton Seidl was at the conductor’s helm and the house was full of musical ozone. Nordica never sang Elda better in this city. Few women to-day before the pub- lic can command her tone production. In the second act her work in the balcony scene was poetical. Jean de Reszke was an adorable Lohen- ¥ DaBg, | grin, while Edward de Reszke was a stately and sonorous Frederick the Fowler. Mme. Mantelli repeated her familiar impersona- tion of Ortruda, which has dramatic and vocal excellence of a high order. Signor Ancona was a competent Telramund, and Signor de Vaschetti deserves praise for his singing of the herald’s music. The chorus did its work well, barring the customary flatting in the difficult measures of the first act. PUT TO DEATH BY A MOB. Terrible ¥engeance of Georgians Upon a Senoolteacher. SAVANNAH, GaA., Nov. 23.—A special to the Morning News from Mount Vernon, county seat of Montgomery County, Ga., says that L. W. Perdue was this morning taken from jail by a mob, carried to the woods, where his throat was cut from ear to ear and his body riddled with biillets. At alate hour to-night his body was still lying in the woods. Perdue was about 51 years of age, a schoolteacher, a graduate of Yale College and until his arrest, about six weeks ago, was regarded as a highly respected citizen. He was a married man and leavesa widow, two sons gnd two daughters. About six weeks ago he was arrested on a warrant sworn out by a Mr. Grady, with whose daughter it was alleged he had been intimate. R BY THE BREAKING OF A CRANE. The Men Badly Hurt and Much Property Damaged. PITTSBURG, Pa., Nov. 23.—By the breaking of a crane at the Black Diamond Steel Works this afternoon one man was fatally injured, two badly hurt and dam- ace to the amount of $8000 resulted to the plant. The names of the injured men are: Henry Hunter, hips crushed and back broken, will die; William Isaacson, crushed about the chest; John Kennedy, both legs broken and internally injured. The Jast two named have small chances of recovery. All were married and have families. The crane was the largest in the plant and the three injured men were in charge of it. They were moving a heavy casting when the accident occurred. SHPPED SEAMAN'S WIE For This Reason the Millionaire Waived All Claims Against *Deacon” Bisbee. Rather Sensational Tura Taken in the Suit of the New Yorker Against a Lawyer. CHICAGO, Irv., Nov. 23.—The litigation between “Deacon” L. H. Bisbee, a promi- nent Chicago attorney, and Robert Sea- man, the New York millionaire, involving the recovery of $50,000 from the lawyer, has assumed a sensational phase before Master in Chancery Leaming, before whom evidence is being taken. In a long cross-examination conducted for the millionaire Mr. Bisbee stated that be visited New York in 1887, and had effected a settlement batween Mr. Seaman and Ernestine S8anderson, who claimed to be Mr. Seaman’s common law wife, whereby the woman was to go away and cease to be a burden upon his mind. The defendant said he had held many con- ferences with Mr. Seaman and the woman in the Grand Hotel, New York, and at a Broadway restaurant, and made a verbal agreement with.the millionaire that his services in effecting a release of the woman’s claims was to liquidate any amount of money for which Mr. Seaman might hold Mr. Bisbee’s notes. John C. Paterson, counsel for Mr. Sea- man, was surprised at the revelation of the “woman in the case,” and tried to shake Mr. Bisbee’s testimony, but the de- fendant’s story did not vary under a rigid fire of cross-examination. He added that Mr. Seaman deeded property to the woman and a lot of jewels, and that Mr. Seaman agreed to relinquish all claims against the defendant on the further pay- ment of $5000. To substantiate his story Mr. Bisbee served notice on the defendant’s lawyer that he would take depositions in New York. IN THE CAUSE OF IRELAND, Nationalists of Chicago Celebrate the Anniversary of an Execution. Brady Said the Eastern Disturbance Was the First Ray of Promise for Patriots. CHICAGO, ILL., Nov. 23.—The Irish Na- tionalists of Chicago celebrated the twenty- eighth anniversary of the execution of Larkin, O'Brien and Allen, the Man- chester martyrs, at Central Music Hall to- night. There were about 1500 persons present, many of whom were women. Hon. P. V. Fitzpatrick opened the meet- ing and introduced Hon. Matthew P. Brady, who first read a telegram of greet- ing signed by Judge M. Cooney of San Francisco from a meeting of Irish Nation- alists in that City. Mr. Brady then delivered a stirring ad- dress on Irish patriotism, and told in plain terms that the Eastern situation, which may involve Great Britain and Rus- sia in war, was the first ray of promise of the appearance of the star of Irish liberty. An address of the combined Irish societies of Chicago was then read and the follow- ing resolutions were adopted : Resolved, That we most heartily indorse the [ principles of the Irish National Alliance, as put forth at the convention recently held in this city, and urge all our Irish kindred in the United States to give it their cordial support, because it is only by armed effort, God sending the opportunity and we taking advantage of his mercy, that the independence of Ireland can be finally secured. ‘That we extend to the Irish amnesty associa- tlons, now laboring for the release of the politi- el prisoners, our heartiest sympathy, and that we will do whatever may liv in our power to Always Taking cold, is a common complaint. Tt is due to impure and deficient blood and it often leads to serious troubles. The rem- edy is found in pure, rich blood, and the one true blood purifier is ' Hood'’s Sarsaparilla Hood’s Pills 5.5y, " bo for 2id in the liberation of the brave men W weary years have suffered living death for the cause of Irish liberty. A MURDERED A MERCHANT. Supposed Crime of an American De= Vaulter in Colombia. MONTGOMERY, Ars., Nov. 23.—Last February Frank C. Randolpb, who for years neld the office of Probate Jud:v' of Montgomery County, disappeared, leaving a shortage of $40,000. It was rumored that he had gone to South America. Several weeks ago a rumor reached here that Ran- dolph had_murdered a wealthy merchant in Colombia. Friends communicated with the United States Consul at Panama and to-day received a letter from \\Ctoflr\ll- quain, Consul-General of the United States at Panama. The Consul said that last spring 2 man answering in detail to the description of Judge Randolph, but giving his name as Major Charles Radtord of Virginia, had reached Colombia and made some investments near Cali. Two or three months ago he shot and killed near Cali an aged German merchant named Charles Simmons. The Counsul said his conviction appeared practically certain. B o Crushed by a Derrick. CLEVELAND, Onuro,~Nov. 23.—By the falling of a derrick this morning Michael Tember, 2 workman, was fatally crushed, and John Wickes, Thomas Diggarstaff and George Gleason were injured. The derrick fell across a trolley wire and be- came charged with electricity, making it impossible to effect Tember’s release until too late to save his life. —_— NEW TO-DAY. EAGLESON & C0.’S GREAT STOCK —gp—— WINTER Underwear DIRECT From the Mills and sold at about WHOLESALE PRICES. The Largest Stock And Greatest Assdrtment Of Underwear of any Retail Men’s Furnishing Goods Concern in the United States ALL EXTRA VALUE. Please Call and Examine Our Stock. 748 and 750 Market St, 242 Montgomery St. 112 S. Spring St., L. Ang, Shirt Factory 535 Market St., S. Py A GOMING EVENT, * Look out FoRIT! Benguiat's collection of Oriental Rugs will be offered aj Auction early in December, i Golden Gate Hall. rare FAILING MANHOOD General and Nervous Debility. Cleanses the Pasi Alla; Nasal ain and Inflammation, Restores the Senses of Taste and Smell. Heals the Sore Apply Balm into each nostrit BROS,56 Warren st,N.Y - STORRS’ ASTHMA REMEDY, druggists have it, or any size will be mailed oq receipt of price to KIBBLER'S PHARMACY, SW. Cor. Larkin and Turk Sts, S. F, FOR BARBERS, BAR- BRUSHES = i s brewers, Bookbinders, akars, CAata dyers, " fiourmills, .mu."'finu’?.“’&": bangers, shoe factories, men, Lar-] ote,