The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 25, 1895, Page 39

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1895. 39 DEATH AND A BRIDE, Walter Scott Killed by an Eceentric Parent Soon After Marriage. ROMANCE OF THE WIFE, Placed in an Insane Asylum, She Was Gallantly Rescued by Her Lover. THEN THEY WERE WEDDED. | Upon Going to the Home of the Bride: the Husband was Shot by Her Father. DES. MOINES, Towa, Dec. 24.--Walter Scott, a young business man, and Miss Clara Dawson were married at 3 o'clock | fternoon by a Justice of the Peace. | cott went from the office of the Justice to | ome of the girl’s fathe R. Daw- nd was shot dead by the father. Nearly two years ago Scottand the girl an to be attached and her father for- | ade them to see each other. As they per- | sisted hietook the girl before the Insanity ission and gave testimony, on the | of which she was declared insane nt to the asylum at Mount Pleasant. Scott took steps to secure her release and at last succeeded in proving that she was sane. She was released and her father took her to Chicago and placed her | ina convent. For some time she was un- | able to communicate with Scott, but at | 2ot & letter to him. He went to Chi- and induced the management of the ution to release the girl. Then the r took her to Ohio and placed her in rivate school. She managed to get i ay from there and her father took her | Keokuk and placed her in the charge of | rant sworn out by Daw- | nim with sending indecent | rs to the gifl. Scott was arrested and | en from the girl. He proved his inno- | ce and was released, but the girl then declared she would not marry him tili her parents were willing. Howeve: he met her irom time to time, ay she sent him a note saying was ready to run away and be married. met, were married, and soon a Scott went to her home to get her belong He took an officer with him. Daw- refused to give them what they de- manded, and, as they were leaving the house, he arew a revolver and shot Scott. He rired four times and e of the balls took effect, one going into the brain. Death was instantaneous. Dawson wa: sted and taken to the “ounty Jail. serious talk of | lynching and spec on du There seems to pe danger of trouble. no serious The girl's fatber is an eccentric man of over 60, and is the inventor of a process for Damascus steel, which has been | ronounced of great value. He has recent formed a company with $500,000 to manuiacture the steel. he girl will remain at the home of Scott’s parents. His mother is prostrated | with grief and the is little better. { SERT'S SONGS. ‘Favored Her New York Admirers With a New Repertoire. W YORK, N. Y., Dec. —Yvette pert favored her New York admirers h a complete change of her sonz reper- at Hammerstein’s Olymp last night, and the acclaim with which every one-of her efforts were received left no doubt of her suc in the metropolis. Her songs to be heard for the fi time were well chosen, if the display of this re- | markable woman’s versatility was de- sired, but truth compels the statement that her audience was more pleased with ner inimitable rendering in English of “Her Golden Hair Was Hanging Down Her Back,” which she gave in response 1o her seventh recall. Shouts of hearty Ianghter and tumultuousapplause marked nish. bert’s new songs were ‘“Les Vier-| which recites the unique position of ihe maids, cld and younz, who walk through life and never know that the greatest of all joys is love; “Morphine,” the stery of a poor wretck of a woman ruined by the morpme habit who croons | out her piteous story in a semi-drunken | Jethargic dream; “Ca Fait Toujours Piaisir,” a story from the operetta of “La Femme a Narci .’ containing the idea | that love, however it comes, whether in | realitv or dreams, whether past or in an- ticipation, always gives pleasure, and *Par le Clair de Lune,” the song of a girl de- scribing a -moonlight and the conse- quences, one of which is the loss of her lover, . who leaves her. Of course “La Pierreuse” was retained and received its accustomed greeting. The remainder of ! the music hall programme was capital. THE MURDEER OF SELJAN. Three Men Accused of the Crime Are Acquitted. OMAHA. NEs., De Judge Fergu- son this morning instructed the jury in the Seljan murder case to return a verdict of not guilty against Jonn Drubnic, Mike Mikan and Anton Bukovic, the three men charged with the murder of John Seljan. He then ordered the men discharged from thie custody of the Sheriff. This murder was a most horrible * one, in which Johin Seljan. was robbed, murdered in a cheap lodging-house and his body thrown | in the river. BTN g CANNOT TAKE THE PLACE. A District Judge Tendered a Railroad | Commissionership. DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 24.—Governor Jackson to-day tendered to Judge Ben McCoy of Oskaloosa, District Judge, the position on the Iowa Railroad Commis- on which was Jeft vacant by the death of man John W. Luke. was discovered this evening that the | constitution of the State provides that a | District Judge canriot accept any other offiee under the State during the term for which he waselected. * If this is held good | Judge McCoy will have to be dropped. e HELD UP IN ST. LOUIS. Btreetcar Passengers JRobbed by Four Highwaymen. ST. LOUIS, Mo., Dec. 24.—Whatappears 10 be one of the most daring streetcar hold- ups ever perpetrated in the city occurred last night about 10 o’clock on the Cass- avenue line, near the corner of Tenth and | to pre Cass avenue. From the statement of an eye-witness it appears that four white men were standing on the northwest corner. When the car approached one of them jumped on the front of the car and placed arevolver at the head of the motor-man, commanding him to throw up his hands, which he did without much hesitation. The three others boarded the rear plat- form, and two of them grabbed the con- ductor and went through his pockets, tak- ing all the change he haa, amounting to over $20. One of the robbers held him while the other two entered the car, and, with drawn revolvers, commanded the passencers to shell out.” The witness states that there were about ten people in the car, and how much the robbers got he could not say. He learned from one of the victiias that he was robbed of $5. After getting all they could the highwaymen made their escape. - T BUEKNED 4 FURNACE. Repetition of the Accident at the Schoon- verger ablishment. PITTSBURG, Pa., Dec. 24.—Another bad explosion took place to-day at the Schoon- verger furnace, the scene of yesterday’s terrible accident, and to-day’s accident was quite similar to that of yesterday, ex- cept that only one was injured. Yesterday seven were hurt. A number of bricklayers were at work on top of the furnace when a great volume of burning gas issued from the top of the furnace, enveloping the men. One of the workmen, Jose Morton, was badly burned. In trying to escape from the flames he missed his footing and fell to the ground, a distance of seventy-five feet. He was in- ternally injured, and his recovery is doubt- ful. Another man was slightly hurt. The cause of the explosion was the same as that of yesterday. A great mass of moletn matter in an adjoining suddenly settled, forcing out the burning gas. The men injured yesterday are get- ting along nicely and will probably all re- cover. MDWACE OF NSURGENTS They Have Marched to Within a | Short Distance of the Cap- ital of Cuba. Three-Fourths of the Island Said to Be Disputed by Natives and Spanish. Y., Dec. 24.—The Mail ternoon prints the fol- An American who has been sojourning | in Cuba for some time past, and who has had excellent opportuni for observing the course of the war in the island, re- turned to New York to-day and told what he bad learned. He reports a heavy fizht outside of Havana between the insurgent forces under Maximo Gomez and the Spanish troops. The engagement took place near the town of Colon. “It is worthy of note,” he said, *‘that this town is within 120 miles of Havana, and while the Spanish authorities, as is al the case, report slight losses on their part and the rebels as h severely punished, it cannot obliterate the fact that the troops of Maximo Gomez have marched from the easternmost prov- ince, a distance of about 400 miles, with but slight hindrance on the part of the Spaniards. “Some 100 miles to the eastward of Colon is the celebrated trocha, or trench, a dead line heavily fortiied and garrisoned event the entrance of the insurgent troops, but which they have passed with- out firing a shot. They arenow in the richest sugar-producing province in the island. “In point of fact, three-fourths of the island is at present disputed territory, | there only remaining loyal to Spain the provinces of Havana and Pinar del Rio or Vuleta Abajo, where the tobacco-growing interests cannot afford to be disturbed, as this would cut off the large income sup- | plied by the Cuban cigar manufacturers of of Tampa and Key West. The insurgents are well supplied with ammunition and arms. “There has not been a pitched battle | ince the commencement of the war. If the Cubans can continue the guerrille warfare until the spring rains set in Cuba will be spain cannot keep her immense n the field in the unhealthy season. In any case the island is completely ruined. The devastation has been terrible. It will .take Cuma years and years to re- cover from the effects of the war.” WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 24.—If the Cuban insurgent forces under Generals Maceo and Gomez are advancing on Ha- na with the prospect of reaching that ¢ to-morrow, as has been reported this afternoon, nor de Lome, the Spanish Minister to the mformation thereon. He gave out a cable- gram to-night to the United Press from General Arderius, acting Governor-Gen- eral of Cuba. The cablegram was written at 1 o'clock this afternoon and was received by Senor de Lome a few minutes before 5 o’clock. It reads as follows: “I have just had a conference with Gen- eral Campos in Limonar. He reports that vesterday he overtook the forces Maximo Gomez and had an engagement with him. It wasa horrible affair because of the fighting being in the midst of burn- ing fields.”” Twelve of the Government troops were wounded and were sent to the hospital at Matanzas. Maximo Gomez’s forces re- treated in small bodies, ‘according to their usual tactics. The commander-in-chief has just at this moment started for Guana- bana, where he will pass the night. The forces under Generals Vildes and Luque are in front of the insurgents, but remain in communication'with tae ccm- mander-in-chief. Guanabaya is a railroad crossing and strategic point southeast of Matanzas, the ! Government having quite a large force | there. In the face of the receipt of the forego- ing statements in General Arderius’ cable- | gram that the rebels after fighting re- treated, Minister de JLome does not be- lieve they are making a movement on Havana. He said the Cubansare fighting, after the fashion of our own Indians, who caused the Government so many years of | trouble before they were conquered. — Wakely’s Promotion. CHICAGO, Inn, Dec. 24 — Lucian Wakely has been appointed general pas- senger agent of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Missouri lines. He was as- sistant general passenger agent of the Burlington at Chicago, and his promotion has for some time been exvected. e, Forty-Five Horses Burned. BURLINGTON, Ia, Dec. 24—Forty fine horses and 200 carriages, hacks and wagons were burned this mornmg in Strickland’s livery-barn. The loss is $50,- 000 and insurance $5000. Two men were rescued in an unconscious condition by the fireman, furnace | ng been | United States, has no | of | RIVERS RISE RAPIDLY, Rain Causes an Overflow of Streams in Missouri and Kansas. DAMAGE DONE BY FLOOD. On the Lowlands Outbuildings and Crops Are Quickly Washed Away. | SEVERAL LIVES REPORTED LOST, Railroad Tracks Inundated and Com- | munication Cut Off in Many Di- rections. KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 24.—Rain began falling here last evening and hascon- tinued uninterruptedly since. Through- out Missouri the storm has been unusually severe. At Jefferson the heavy rain last night caused great alarm in the Osage and | Moreau River valleys. The already swol- | len streams are rising, and it is feared | that the high water of last week will be | greatly augmented. On the bottom farms fencing, haystacks, shock corn and many | outbuildings have been swept away and many animals have been drowned. If the rain continues for twenuy-four hours | longer the river valleys will be devastated. | Several lives are reported to have been | lost along the Osage Valley. Word from | Tuscumbia, on the Osage, is that more than 100,000 bushels of corn within a small radius of bottom land were washed away last night and thousands of railroad ties and bridge timbers have floated away. | The Osage River is now higher than it | was in 1882, when it broke ‘the record. A | telegram says the Meramec is higher than | it ever was before. The Missouri is not dangerously high, but is rising and prom- ises to be booming soon. ‘Warsaw, the county seat of Benton | County, is threatened with destruction by | floods from the Osage River. The Sedalia, |"Warsaw and Southwestern passenger sta- | tion is adrift. | The Missouri, Kansas and Texas tracks | have been washed away in Vernon | County. | At Clinton, Mo., rain has been falling | the last twelve bhours, and the Grand | River 1s rising rapidly again. The Osage | is rising rapidly at Rockville, and has | damaged the Missouri, Kansas and Texas | Railway tracks so that trains have not i crossed for two days. All communication with the South from here is by way of | Kansas City. | The oldest inhabitant has no recollection | of such a time as this before in this coun- try. Several families who were camped on the White Farm, near Smithfield, Mo., were reported missing and supposed to have been drowned. The Russell boys, | the oldest 16 years of age, began a search i for them, and finally found them, thirteen | men, women and children, on a wagon | box on a hay stack with a mile of water |around them in every direction. These | lads conveyed them, two at a time, in | safety to land. | At Coffeyvilte, Kans., the flood for the past week is without a parallel so far as | the oldest settler can recall. | The heavy snow of last Thursday has gone oft with a rain that has been pour- | ing down almost incessanily for twenty- | four hours. This makes the eighth day of continuous rain or snow. Streams are out of their banks and great damage is | sure to result. Cherokee, Kans., reports three inches of water falling during the day and all the streams out of their banks. At Arkansas City, Kans., rain has been falling steadily since before daylight this morning and more water is standing in the fields than has been known for years. The Arkansas and Walnut Rivers are rapidly rising. oseph Cummings of Tuscumbia, Mo., estimates that in a small scope of valley adjacent to that place no less than 100,000 bushels of corn in the shock were swept [away by the flood. There is no estimating ! the loss of ties and timber at this time, but | it will be heavy. Thousands of ties were | on the banks ready for rafting, as no one dreamed of such an unparalleled freshet | at this season of the year. * | At Bagnell, the terminus of the Jeffer- | son City, Lebanon and Southwestern branch of the Missouri Pacific, the water | is still three and a half feet deep in the station. The telegraph instruments in the office, after having been submerged several days, are just above the top of the water now. A circular track surrounds the yard at Bagnell, and when the flood came along astring of empty cars was run on this track to boom in the ties. The tops of some of these cars have been under water for three day. From all along the valleys of the streams in this section are coming reports of people driven from homes ruined by | the floods. In many instances they have lost all of their possessions and are desti- tute of food and clothing. It has been raining for the past twenty-four hours, not. bard, it 1s true, but if the rain prevails over the territory drained by the Osage still higher water is feared. el gl SWEEP OF A GREAT STOKM. Traffic Delayed in Northern and Central Texas. DALLAS, Tex., Dec. 24.—The worst storm for years prevailed over Northern and Centrai Texas from midnight until 6 o’clock this morning. The wind blew a hurricane and rair fell in torrents. Much damage has been done to railways and all trains are Jate. Washouts are reported on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas road, and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe in North- ern Texas. The Indian Territory and Arkansas trains are reported from seven to twelve hours late, and trains on the Santa Fe are entirely lost so far as ability to hear from them is concerned. : Telegraphic communicatior. between Dal- las, Kansas City and Dallas and New Orieans is badly crippied. There is a bad wreck reported on the Santa Fe north, but where it is, or how serious, has not been learned. Jockey Bender Dying. NEW YORK, N. Y., Dec. 24.—Jockey Bender is lying at the point of death at his home in Sheepshead Bay. He has been riding at the St. Asaph track and last Wednesday received injuries which re- sulted in continuous hemorrhages of the lungs. He returned home and was at- tended by Dr. John Poole. Since last Baturday he has been slowly sinking and there seems to be no chance for his re- covery. DBender, who is 25 years of age, is married and has two children. He is a brother-in-law of ‘“‘Snapper’’ Garrison. e LORD DUNRAVEN'S CHARGES. Report Made by the Cup Committee of the ¥acht Club. NEW YORK, N. Y., Dec. 24.—A report has been made by the America cup com- mittee to the New York Yacht Club about the conditions governing the international races and their correspondence with Lord Dunraven. The important pointis why the yachts were not marked at the load water line when measured, and this the committee goes into fully, explaining the reasons for delay. Upon the day Lord Dunraven desired a remeasurement, giving to Latham A. Fish as a cause for it his charge that the Defender had been tampered with, the committee declined to act in the matter further than insuring the remeasurement ordered on the previous day to be thoroughly done. They considered the charge preposter- ous and the manner of making it improper, it being unaccompanied by any signed statement whatever, and inasmuch as Dunraven had neglected the recognized means of redressing such a wrong the onus of taking up the alleged grievance did not rest upon the committee. Again, as Lord Dunraven continued the contest on September 10, the logical con- clusion was that he accepted what had been done as a final disposal of his com- plaint against the Defender. S DESOLATION CAUSED BY FLOODS. There Has Been Loss of Life and Prop- erty in Indian Territory. WAGONER, I. T., Dec. 24.—The Grand River flood continues, and there is great desolation. Houses, wagouns and animals of all descriptions are seen floating with the torrent. Men and women were found in the treetops to-day, where they had been for thirty-six hours, without shelter or food. One woman was seen in a wagon box going down stream, calling for assist- ance, but so rapid was the current that nothing could be done to save her. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern road’s big iron bridge at Fort Gibson, fifteen miles east, has gone down, and all through traflic is abandoned. It will re- quire several days to establish a transfer. No such flood was ever known in this part of the country. FAILED AT PHILADELPHIA. Brokers Went Under as a Result of the Flurry. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Dec. 24.—Will- iam G. Hopper & Co., bankers and brok- ers at 26 South Third street, made an as- signment to-day. Neither the firm nor the assignee is prepared to make any statement concerning the failnre, except that it is a direct result of last week’s panic in the New York stock market. The failure had no effect upon the local stock market, and it is believed, although no figures are yet obtainable, that the as- sets will not be greatly exceeded by the liabilities. S ige ea Inerease in Earnings. CHICAGO, Iry., Dec. 24.—The earnings of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul for the third week in December were $653,- 818, as compared with $494,270 for the cor- responding week of last year, an increase of $159,8. BRITSH VESSELS LOST, The Ship Moresby and Bark Eliza Wrecked Off the Coast of Ireland. There Was a Great Loss of Life, Including Men Who Went to the Rescue. LONDON, Exg., Dec. 24.—The British ship Moresby, Captain Coomber, bound for Pisagua, Chile, is ashore on the south coast of Ireland, and is breaking up. The thirty-six men of the crew are lashed in the rigging, and attempts to rescue them are being made. The weather is very wild. The Moresby broke up this afternoon. Nineteen persons on board were drowned. Among the veople who were lost were Captain Coomber and his wife and son. Of those who were saved some were in such a condition, as the result of exposure, that there is no hove of their recovery. Fierce gales are prevailing on Eng- lish coast and wreckage is coming ashore at many places. The bark Eliza has been wrecked on Ca- hore Point, County Wexford, Ireland, and all hands on boara drowned. The British schooner Rupert stranded off Tynmouth to- day and capsized. All on board were drowned. DUBLIN, IreLAND, Dec. 24.—A lifeboat belonging 1o Kingstown capsized in Dub- lin Bay to-day while endeavoring to reach and rescue the crew of an English bark which was flying signals of distress, and the entire crew of seventeen men were drowned. o The ill-fated British ship Moresby ar- rived in this port from Liverpool on the 1st of last April with a general cargo con- signed to J. D. Spreckels & Bros. Co. On the way out she was forced to putinto Montevideo in distress. On June 5 she left here for Cork, Ire- land, with a cargo of wheat valued at $40,000, and after 145 days she reached her destination, loading at Cork October 28. ‘When she sailed from San Francisco she had twenty men on board, Captain Coomber being in command. Just before leaving she completed her crew by adding the following men from this port: Sea- men—P. Eiversen, T. Green A. Knudsen, E. Loutier; cook, N. Morrison. Whether or not these men reshipped from Cork is not known by the British Consul or by some of their acquaintances in this City. The Moresby was an iron ship of 1156 tons burden and was built at Whithayen in 1882. John Dodd of 127 Grove street, Liverpool, was her managing owner. Seigan t EDWARD JAMES HARLAND, Death of the Noted Shipbuilder and Mem- ber of Parliament. LONDON, Lxe., Dec. 24.—Sir Edward James Harland, member of Parliament:for North Belfast, died at his home, Glenfarne Hall, County Leitrim, last evening. Sir Edward Harland was born at Scar- borough in 1831. He was the head of the great Belfast shmip-building firm of Har- land & Wolff, which built some of the best-known steamers in the trans-Atlantic trade. He was made a Baronet upon the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Belfast in 1885, when he was Mayor. 4 He was a Conservative, and supported the Unionist policy of the Marquis of Salisbury government, as being of vital importance to Protestantism in Ireland and to religious liberty generally. He had represented North Belfast since 1889, {PURELY FOR REVENE Measurt;s of Relief Hastily Prepared for Congress to Consider. l NO TARIFF REVISION. All Arguments of Manufacturers for a Postponement Not Heeded. COMMITTEE VIEWS UNCHANGED Importance of the Two Bills That Will Be Presented for Consid- eration. WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 24.—Let the country understand,” said a leading Republican member of the Ways and Means Committee to a United Press re- porter to-day, “that the bill we shall pre- sent to the House on Thursday is a pure revenue measure, hurriedly prepared to meet the exigency in our National finances and in response to the President’s plea that some measure for relief must be af- forded by Congress. There has been no attempt at tariff revision. Our measure is purely a revenue measure.” The correctness of this declaration was shown by the action of the committee to-day in declining to hear Judge William Lawrence of Ohio, president of the Na- tional Wool-Growers’ Association, who de- sired to be heard in support of a higher rate on wool than that previously agreed tions have been made to the committee in its collective and indi- vidual capacity from Eastern manufactur- ers, who have deprecated hasty action in the preparation of the bill, thata postpone- ment in its preparations be had until their arguments could be presented. To all these applications the committee has turned a deaf ear, and the bill will have the unusual distinction of being presented to the House as the sole result of the com- mittee’s labors, uninfluenced by outside consideratiens. At this afternoon’s session of the Re- publican members of the committee several changes were made in the rates agreed upon yesterday. When an adjournment was bad at 5 o’clock the framework of the bill had been completed, and nothing re- mained but to put it in proper form. At yesterday’s meeting it was decided that farm products, including livestock, should enjoy a 25 per cent horizontal in- creaseover the present law, because of the ruinous competition which the granger element along the Northern frontier claimed to suffer from their Canadian neighbors across the line. This led some of the Fastern members to-day to ask a corresponding increase on manufactures of iron and steel. This precipitated a spirited discussion, in which the committee divided, practi- cally, on geographical lines, tne Western men strongly opposing a higher rate than 15 per cent. After some debate an agree- ment was reached that the agricultural schedules should be placed in the same category as the other schedules, namely, at a 15 per cent horizontal increase. This ‘was the only serious difference of the day, and it was speedily settled. The sugar schedule alone is exempted from change. 1t was deemed inexpedient to include sugar in the horizontal increase, owing to the embarrassments which might arise from increasing the differential duty on refined sugars. The most important change made at to- day’s session was that relating to carpet wools, which in the new bill will be re- stored to the McKinley rate. On all other wools the duty, as stated in the United Press dispatches last night, will be 60 per cent of the McKinley law, with the com- pensatory duty on the manufactured prod- uct, also 60 per cent of the previous law. The duty on all grades of lumber will be placed at 60 per cent of the McKinley. The bond bill was completed to-day and will be sent to-night to the Government Printing Office. Both it and the revenue bill will be laid before the full committee at 11 o’clock to- morrow morning. When the committee adjourns the Dem- ocratic members will hoid a secret session, at which they will decide upon the policy to be pursued by them when the two meas- ures are called up in the House. The two bills, as has been previously re- ported, will be presented to the House on Thursday. The Committee on Ruies will report and pass through the House a reso- lution setting aside Thursday for consider- tion of the tariff bill and Friday for the bond measure. It may be said in passing this latter bill is understood te have the approval of Secretary Carlisle, and consequently of the President as well. This encourages the Republican leaders to believe that it may pass the Senate, notwithstanding the pre- ponderance of free silver sentiment in that body. With the President favorableto the proposition, it is believed that the whole powet of the administration will be ex- erted upon certain of the Democratic Sen- ators from the South, with a possibility that a sufficient number may be secured to join the ‘‘sound-money”’ Republicans and pass the measure. The bond bill is simple in its details. It provides for the issuance of bonds, inter- est and principal payable in coin and re- deemable at the option of the Government at theend of five years. 1t changes the rate of interest provided in the act of 1875, under which bonds are now issued, to 3 per cent, which is also the rate of interest that the $50,000,000 coupon certificates of in- debtedness, which will be used only to meet the deficit in the treasury, will also bear. No provision is made in the bond bill regarding the legal-tender notes. The pbill, by simply separating the redemption fund from the general assets of the treas- ury, puts it in the power of the Secretary of the Treasury, temporarily, to isolate the legal tender when redeemed. The two bills will go into effect upon their passage and remain in operation until August 1, 1898, MAKES ALL TITLES VALID. Justice Bingham Renders a Decision of Great Importance to the City of Las Vegas. ‘WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 24.—Chief Justice Bingham of the District Supreme Court yesterday delivered an important opinion, in which the title to every foot of land in the town of Las Vegas, N. M., the property of the town and 2000 citizens, all valued in the aggregate at $4,000,000, in which he confirmed the title of the com- plainants and reversed an opinion ren- decred by Hon.John W. Noble as Secre- tary of the Interior. A bill in equity was filea in February February last in behalf of Jefferson Rey- nolds, the town of Las Vegas and others to enjoin the Secretary of the Interior from executing an order for a resurvey of the land in question, constituting a tract of 49,446 acres, under which order by the Secretary’s construction of the law all but 600 acres was sought to be restored to the public domain. In his opinion delivered to-day Justice Bingham held that theentire tractand the full number of acres described in the bill or complaint belongs to Las Vegas and its people, and that they have a perfect title conferred by Congress, and that in issuing his order to have it restored to the public domain Secretary Noble violated the law and the rights of the people. He accord- ing ordered that the injunction should issue as petitioned for. Attorney Brent of counsel for the Gov- ernment gave notice of an appeal. bt o e FOR SIX Encouragement in the Culture of Silk and Ramie. Z WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.—Representa- tive Northway introduced in the House to- day a bill directing the Secretary of Agri- culture to establish six silk, flaxand ramie experimental stations, to be located, one in the Middle States, one in the Northwest- ern States, one at Washington, one in the North Pacific Coast States, one in the South Gulf States and one on the Pacific Coast. The bill provides that the work at the stations shall be cirried on by ap- pointees of the Secretary of Agriculture. FOR SENATE COMMITTEES, Selections Made by Democrats, Who Are in the Minority This Session. NEW STATIONS. Lists to Be Given to Republicans and ‘Reorganization Will Quickly Follow. WASHINGTON, D. C. Dec. 24—The committees of the Senate will be reorgan- ized next week and will then pass into the hands of the Republicans. The Demo. cratic steering committee held a long ses- sion this afternoon in the room of the Committee on Appropriations and heard those Senators who desired to be heard with regard to their committee assign- ments. After this was done a sub-committee, headed by Cockrell, was appointed to take the whole matter in hand and report to the full committee Thursday. This committee will then call a caucus of the Democratic Senators Friday, when the assignments as agreed upon will then be approved. As soon as this is done the list will be handed the Republicans and the motion will be made the next day in the Senate to reorganize the committees in accordance with the list, which wiil then be sent to the clerk’s desk and read. No vote will be taken on the question, but the reorganiza- tion will be agreed to, as it has in the past, by a simple viva voce. In adaition to the readjustment of the assignments of other Senators, the com- mittee has had to place the new members, Bacon of Georgia, Chilton of Texas, Mar- tin of Virginia and Tillman of South Caro- lina. The committee had, when it ad- journed to-night, agreed upon the new men it would add to the important com- mittees of the Senate. The Committee on Appropriations will consist of the present members—Cockrell, Call, Blackburn and Brice—with the addi- tion of Faulkner of West Virginia, the committee having been increased by ihe Republicans from nine to thirteen. The Commitiee on Foreign Relations, which was aiso increased from nine to eleven, will- retain the present four Demo- crats—Morgan, Gray, Turpie and Daniel. For Butler, whose term has expirea, it has been decided to place thereon Mills of Texas. ‘The committee found it hard work to reconcile the conflicting claims for this very desirable berth. Call, by reason of his seniority of service in the Senate, demanded the assignment, but the com- mittee thought it best to deny Call, arid they therefore agreed npon the Texan. Pascoe of Florida has been added to the minority representation on the Committee on Commerce, the committee that handles the river and harbor bill. The other members will be Messrs. Vest, Gorman, White, Murphy and Berry. Walthall of Miss ni gres tothe Com- mittee on Finance, his Democratic asso- ciates being Messrs. Voorhees, Harris, Vest, jones of Arkansas and White. This committee will consist of six Republicans, six Democrats and one Populist, the latter being Jones of Nevada. Its financial pol- icy can be easily determined when itis known that it stands as follows: Six Democrats, one Populist and one Repub- lican for free coinage, making a total of eight for the unlimited coinage of silver to five against. Daniel of Virginia goes to the Judi- ciary, his Democratic associates being Pugh, George, Vilas, Hill and Lindsay. The eleven minority chairmanships, all of them small committees and now held by Republicans, will be divided among the oldest Democrats in point of service. Of these Cockrell becomes chairman of the Committee on Eagrossed Bills, Morgan of Nicaraguan Canal, Vest of Transportation and Sale of Meat Products, Harris of Epi- demic Diseases, Voorhees of Additional Accommodations, for the Library and Gor- man of Corporations in the District of Columbia. The other chairmanships will be divided among Senators Call, Pugh, George, Jones and Blackburn. Under this policy Pascoe, who is ranking member | on the Committee on Private Land Claims, the best committee given the mi- nority, will be compelled to give way to some one else, Pascoe’s entrance into the Senate only dating back to 1887. kTS Searching for Treasure. . FLEMINGTON, N. J:, Dec. 24.—There isa tradition that in revolutionary times a great treasure was buried near this place. Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to find it. William M. Simouton, in whose farm the treasure is supposed to be, is now searching for it in a very thorough manner. e Killed on a Trestle. BIRMINGHAM, Ara., Dec. 24—J. W. Cress of Atlanta was knocked from Stink- ing Creek trestle, on the Southern Rail- way, twelve miles from here, yesterday by a passenger train and killed. He was identified by a card in his pocket. AR Rorigles s Departure of the Maine. NEW York, N. Y., Dec. 24.—The United States cruiser Maine passed Sandy Hook at 4 o'clock this afternoon, bound out- ward. The Mawne is under orders to join’ Admiral Bunce's fleet at Hampton Roads. BRAZILIANS PLEASED, Congratulations Sent by President Silva to ! Speaker Reed. HEARD IN THE HOUSE. Rights and Liberties of the Na- tions of America Ably Defended. APPROVED BY THE SENATE. Passage of the Bill to Repeal'the Law Preventing Confederates From Holding Commissions. i | | WASHINGTON, D. C. Dec. 24.—Just before the House adjourned to-day until Thursday the Speaker had read a telegram from President Silva of the Brazilian House of Representatives, congratulating the House upon President Cleveland’s message supporting the Monroe doctrine. 1t was received with applause. The tele gram was as follows: “The Chambers of Decputies of the, United States of the Republic of Brazil| congratulates the Chamber of Representa- tives of the North American Union for, President Cleveland’s message, which so nobly ana highiy defends the rightsand! liberties of American nations, consecrated in the Monroe principles.” The reading was followed by applause. The usnal distribution of the subjects of the President’s annual message among the various appropriate committees was made in a resolution reported from the Com- mittee on Ways and Means by Dingley (R.) of Maine and agreed to. A bill was passed making Palm Beach, Fla., a sub-port of entry and delivery on the statement by Cooper (D.) of Florida | that Mr. Flagler, the oil, hotel and rail- | road magnate, intended to operate a line | of American steamers between that port | and the Bahamas, the first vessel of which will arrive at Palm Beach January 17. At 12:45 o’clock, on motion of Dingley, chairman of the Ways and Means Com- mittee, the House adjourned until Thurs- day. o gl (5 PASSED HiILL’S BILL. No Opposition 1o the Service of Confederate Veterans. WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 24.—Thers was a rather interesting discussion in the Senate to-day on the bill introduced last week by Hill (D.) of New York to repeal the statutes which forbid the employment | in the army or navy of the United States of any person who having held a commis- sion therein afterward served in the Con- federate army. There was no opposition manifested to | the provisions of the bill itself, but only | to passing it without going through the reg- ular form of being referred to and consid- | ered by a committee. A motion for such reference was made by Sherman. (R.) of Ohio, but was subse- | quently withdrawn and the bill was then | passed. Chandler (R.) of New Hampshire was conspicuous in its advocacy, expressing the hope that as the Senate had the other | day, without distinction of party, come to the support of a Democratic President when he announced National principles in relation to Venezuela, so the Senate should, without delay and without criti- cism, freely and generously pass this bill by the affirmative vote of every Senator. | After the biil had been disposed of the resolution offere¢ last week by Vest (D.) of Missouri for the coinage of silver bullion and for the payment of treasury notes in standard silver dollars and of greenbacks, in either silver or gold coin, as the condi- | tions of ihe treasury may require, was laid before the Senate. : Vest modified its form, making it a joint resolution, and Morrill (R.) of Vermont moved its reference to the Fipance Com- mittee. » Resolutions and memorials from Ohio indorsing the action of the President in relation to Venezuela and in favor of rec- ognizing the Cuaban revolutionists as belligerents were presented by Sherman (R.) of Ohio and referred tothe Committee on Foreign Relations. Allen (Pov.) of Nebraska offered a reso- Iution deciaring that it was the sense of the Senate that the United States of America should speedily as possible invite all American republics to enter into a closer urion, to be known as the Pan-American Union, for the purpose of promoting the general industrial and commercial welfare of the members thereof and secure said respective republics from European or, other foreign encroachments. ' The resolution was referred to the Com- mittee on Foreign Relations. Hill (D.) of New York then asked the Senate to take up and pass the bill intro- | duced by him last week to repeal the ' statute which prohibits ex-Confederate officers who had previously been commis- sioned officers in the United States army or navy from holding positions in the army or navy. Sherman (R.) of Ohio declared himself as heartily in favor of the bill, but thought that it should take the ordinary course and be referred to the Committee on Mili- tary Affairs. i Hill argued that the bill was perfectly simple, and needed no consideration by a committee, He thought that it would be a good thing just before Christmas to make this present to the old Confederate officers who had formerly held commis- sions in the United States army. Chandler (R.) of New Hampshire fa- vored the bill, and delared that it ought to be passed, and passed to-day. As the Senate had the other day unani- mously, without distinction of party, come to the support of a Democratic President when he announced National principles in relation to Venezuela, so he hoped that to- day, without delay, without criticism, without amendment, freely and gener- ously, this bill:might be passed by the af- firmative vote of every Senator. Gray (D.) of Delaware, while favoring the bill, agrecd with Sherman that it should be referred to a committee in the regular way. Hawley (R.) of Connecticut, while fa- voring the bill, justified the act which it was now proposed to repeal. | Dapniel (D.) of Virginia favored the bill and presented resolutions of the Virginia , Legislature favoring its passage and the President’s message. The disagreeable memories of war, he said, were obliterated and ever since the men of the South and of the North were one people with a com-