The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 25, 1897, Page 14

25 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1897. D Horace Smyth, Who Is Accused of Having Been Swayed by Other Influences Than Evidence, Must Explain Tuesday. Apparently there is no end to sensa- | davit are such as have constituted " i 3 7 co! rumor at various times since jons in Durrant cas When the mmon rumor al A ;,u;, \ppeal of the mur- | the arrest of Durrant. They are in ef- convicted derer Blanche Lamont irtually thrown out of court perior | Judge Bahrs sentenced the prisoner to be hanged January 7 it was supposed that nothing more need be done, that the law, so long impeded, must take its course to the fall of the trap. But Durrar atto seem to think that where the life there is hope. Yesterday they filed a petition and affidavit from the father of Theo- dore Durrant, the e f which was an order from Judge well for Juror Horace Smyth to apr r before the Su- perior Court De 28 to answer This order some legal in are ect tempt of to a charge of cor and divested with ce eliminated, affidavit and ons as fol- the affidavit Durrant in »f John ordered before ny he has he should t of court irrant, re- ) mation fur- sources outside of ir and is set forth said William A And it is furth der, together wit davit, be served upon th as soon_as practic San Francisco, 24, 1897. J. M JAWELL, Presiding Judge. The affidavit itself is of considerable length, the gist of it being below: being first duly m the father Durrant, who, on sed by City and isco, by informa- rt, of the crime of in the killing of on or about the at the city and ncisco. That there- and on or about the 2th day of 1895, the said defendant was ar- gned in said court and entered a plea of “not guilty.” That thereafter. day of July, I fendant perior regularly said Horace Smyth v juror was duly s the Dis County tion filed in said col ny, to-wit, murder, Blanche y of Ay of San F county afte: d on or about the 22d he trial of e ed in the ury was duly of “which ju ter, and sat as s juror throughout the trial thereof, 3 sined in the ver- dict of guilty i inst the at each adjournment , the said ) and the said Smy one_thereof, regularly admonished by as gequired by law not to conve or suffer themselves to be addr any other person on 3 trial, and not_ to xpress any opinion as to the s thereof until the should be ally submitted. That notwithstanding such admonition the said Horace Smyth, while acting as ant is informed and believes, and up uch information and belief alleges the facts to be, did form an opinion as to_the guilt of the said de- fendant while the said tria and the opinion such juror, as th on, the defendant was guilty of the crime with which he w reasons hereinafter stated. and never appeared, neither were they re- ferred to during the t a cause in any manner, except in argument at _conclusion of all testimony ken. * That affiant only received th mation within the 1 three days, and that this information has been received by and from reputahble persons, residents of said city and county who aver that they heard the said Smyth make the charges above set forth, and all the statements connected therewith. That each and every of the charges and statements as to the affiant * * are wholly, totally and absolutely false and untrue, and there has never been any foundation whatever in truth or in fact for the making b ny person or per- sons of an; tions or charges. Wherefore affiant prays ‘that the said Horace Smyth be cited to appear before this honorable court at a day and time to be fixed and show cause., if any he has, why he should not be punished for contempt of court A. DURRANT. WM. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2ith day of December, 159 SEAWELL, M Judge Superior Court in and for the City and County of San Francisco, State of California. JOHN H. DICKINSON. Attorney for Affiant. W. W. FOOTE, of Counsel. The matters eliminated from the a NEW TO-DAY. Most Torturing, Disfiguring, Humiliating Of itching, burning, bleeding, sealy skin and scalp humors is instantly relieved by a warm bath with Curicura Soar, a single application of CuTicURA (oint- ment), the great skin cure, and a full dose of CUTICURA RESOLVENT, greatest of blood purifiers and humor cures. (Uiticura REMEDIES speedily, permanently, and economically cure, when all else fails. PoTTER D1NG AND Cux. Coxr., Sale Props., Boston. =2~ How to Cure Every Skin and Biood Humor,” free. PINPLY FAGES ™iztulssist ™ CUTICURA BOAF. unprint- | 1 guilty of | URRANT'S LAST DITCH Juror Cited for Con- tempt of Court. | between the detectives and the | these facts I could hardly believe that | similar reports during the t that the juror had stated his be- f that Durrant was a moral monster, hough no detail is spared in the pa- per filed. The attorneys affirm with spirit that these allegations were made by Smyth; that his acquiescence in the verdict was due to influence the belief had had upon his mind and not to evidence in- troduced. They assert that they can prove what they allege, dépending upon the testimony of men who stand high in publi teem. They do not, how- ever, explain why these men have so long preserved silence and at last con- ceived a willingness to break it. An interesting feature of the new phase is the statement that the objec- tionable influence brought to bear on Juror Smyth was exerted by the de- tective department of the city police, then under the direction of Captain | Lees, now Chief. Against the Chief they- manifest a feeling of bitterness | most marked. The papers were filed so late, and | came as such a surprise, that a con- sensus of legal opinion could not be | obtained. The idea, so far as ascer- | tained, seemed to be that a last des- | perate move had been taken in the; hope of saving Durrant’s neck, but | that the result would be a bitter war law yers, which would rage until January | 7 and then be extinguished, or at least | rendered futile, by the hangman. John H. Dickinson, attorney for William H. T. Durrant, the afflant,and | W. W. Foote of counsel were seen at | the Palace Hotel last evening. They did not hesitate to express the belief that the shocking stories told to Juror Smyth emanated from the detective | department of the San Francisco po—i lice force. Both Foote and Dickinson asserted with unusual emphasis that they were in the contest to stay and | that the outcome of the contempt pro- | ceedings would be disclosures of a | startling character. “You may quote me as saying,” re- marked Mr. Foote, “that the state- | made in the affidavit will be cor- ed by four men of the highest standing in the community—men oi{ known character and worth. They will g0 on the witness stand next Tuesday when the contempt case is called and testify that Smvth told them the stories contained in the affidavit. I am in this case in the interest of fair trial by jury. When Dickinson told me of his information was correct. “To my surprise he wired me to-day that he had seen the leading men with whom the juror had talked, and they | said that they had heard the same story from the lips of the juror. Smyth admitted to them that he heard the monstrous stories during the trial, and we will be able to show from what source he got them. I wanted to see and talk with the men myself, and I saw them this evening before the | order for the appearance of Smyth | was issued by the presiding Judge of | the Superior Court.” | General Dickinson said: “I heard of | trial, but | recently it came to my knowledge that | Juror Smyth had been talking of what | he had heard of Durrant’s life aside | from the charge against him. Mind | you, he heard these stories during the | trial when he was daily admonished by the court to talk with rio one about the defendant. I am in a position to prove by witnesses of prominence in the State that they heard Smyth re- late the stories. “We will bring out facts in this pro- ceeding before Judge Wallace next| Tuesday that will startle this commu- nity. There is no time now to smooth that | uncovered and brought to light.” of the said | q « | he had been served with any papers or infor- | that he had made such admissions as | he declined to discuss the matter from | | | matters over or fix things up. charged, chiefly for | chief circulator of these storfes will be | ment The Juror Smyth was seen at his resi- ence last evening, but he denied that were set forth in the affidavit. In fact, any standpoint. e R ANOTHER APPEAL. Durrant’s Attorneys Apply for a Writ of Probable Cause. Christmas for the attorneys for Durrant will mean a long study over the points of their latest appeal filed vesterday. This time they are asking the Supreme Court for a certificate of probable cause on the ground that the order of execution setting the day for the hanging of Durrant does not give him the sixty days guaranteed him by the statutes. The application was first made to Judge Bahrs in his court yesterday morning. It was refused without de- lay, and then the application was filed in the office of the higher tribunal. The application Is as follows: You will hereby please take notice that the defendant and appellant above nam- ed, 'W. H. T. Durrant, by his counsel, will on the 2ith day of December, 1897, at the chambers of the Justices of the Su- preme Court of the State of California, in the Parrott building, in the city and county of San Francisco, apply to the Justices of the said Supreme Court for a_certificate of probable cause upon the appeal heretofore taken by the appel- lant from the order of the Superior Court of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, Depart- No. 3 thereof, Hon. George H. Bahrs, Judge, made and entered in said Superior Court on_ the 15th day of De- cember, 1897, which said order directed the delivery of appellant to the Warden of the State prison at San Quentin, Cali- fornia, and the infliction of the death penalty on the defendant and appellant on Friday, the 7th day of January, 1598, Within the walls of said State prison at San Quentin. Said motion will be made upon a duly certified copy of said order. and upon the ground that said order is erroneous and null and void, in that the said order directs the infliction and execution of the death penalty against appellant up- on a day less than sixty days from the date of the making of said order by said Superior Court, as appears upon the face }helref)l. and that said order is contrary o law. The application is signed by Dick- inson, Deuprey and Boardman. The bill of exceptions in the case will be settled on Monday next, and on that date the formal application will be made to the court. The ques- tion raised will be one of pure law, the contention being that on its face the order is void. The order itself will be submitted in support of the con- tention, and that will be all the pro- ceedings so far as the certificate of probable cause is concerned. Should the application be granted it will stay all proceedings until the ap- peal from the order itself shall be de- cided, but as the contention in the ap- peal and that of the application for the certificate are the same the deci- sion on one will amount almost to a decision_on the other. The District Attorney was served with a copy of the application yes- terday afternoon and service was ac- ccuted. HAPPY LITTLE ONES. Children at the Aid Society’s Home See a Genuine Christmas. In the celebration of Christmas fes- tivities last evening the little ones in the care of the Boys' and Girls’ Aid Society, at the corner of Baker and Grove streets, were not forgotten. The directors evidently remembered the day when they themselves watched with glad expectancy for the advent of Santa Claus and consequent joys, and under direction of Superintendent Arthur Smiley a night’s entertainment was prepared for the little ones which will be looked back to with pleasant remembrance until another annivers- ary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth dawns. Early in the evening the assembly rooms of the home were filled with the little inmates of the home and a few friends, and a programme intro- ducing that most glorious personage in childhood's realms—Santa Claus— and his almost forgotten wife, to- gether with many other pleasing fea- tures was gone through with. But if the programme was ever so interesting the aftermath was more so, and per- haps the thoughts of the little ones wandered a trifle from what was go- ing on on the stage as they gazed at a curtain in one corner of the room, over the top of which peeped the tip of a most gorgeous and promising Christ- mas tree laden with bountiful gifts. The programme was first-class and every number well rendered, but when the tree, glittering with myriads of candles and gaudy ornaments stood forth in all its glory, the delight of the little ones knew no bounds, and a Christmas for homeless chidren start- ed in earnest. Each child received a | book or toy to gladden its heart, be- sides a most bountiful supply of those little things, which, while they are commonplace enough to the rich, are luxuries indeed to the children of the poor. A New Tenor Is plctured upon Town Talk’s front page this week, and the reading matter in the musical pages is of special interest to our local dilettante. There are two novelettes, the characters drawn from real life, and altogether the number is above the average in interest. * THE OWL WINKED AND “POP" WINCED Revenue Collectors Interfere ‘With Sullivan’s Good Work. The Cellars of the Hoffman Invaded by the Minions of the Law. - “Pop” Sullivan, he of the generous heart, is in trouble, or rather he was in trouble until he made elaborate ex- planation and did divers other things that rendered the minions of the Treasury Department harmless. “Pop” always looks after the inter- ests of his customers and even after their physical welfare. He is solici- tous that all who patronize his beau- tiful emporium of wet goods and look upon the emblem of wisdom which adorns his walls should pass from his doors exhilerated but not inebriated. “Pop” is go solicitous, in fact, that little matters like the violations of in- ternal revenue laws have no terrors for him when a customer’s welfare is at stake and hence these tears. “Pop” has a cellar which is his pride and his boast, but unfortunately for “Pop” the quality of the goods kept in the cellar is of such unusually high proof that were they to be dealt out promiscuous- ly to those who bend their elbows over the bar of the Hoffman there would be weeping and wailing and subse- quent gnashing of teeth on the part of the imbibers. In an evil hour, evil for Sullivan only, for it was undoubtedly beneficial for the aforesaid elbow-crookers, “Pop” decided to weaken the strength of the various brands of rye and bourbon for which his cellar is famed, and the re- sult was a liquor which was toned down to meet the taste of those who are accustomed to the cocktail route. But in the necessary addition of water there was a resultant lightening of color, and as this off-color whisky was not exactly what the Hoffman is famed for it was necessary to do something to avert suspicion and there was added a little of what is technically known among liquor-deal- ers as ‘“‘caramel,”but what confection- ers and others who use the harmless ingredient call burnt sugar. Now while “Pop’s” intentions were perfectly beneficent, his act was a violation of the rigid rules and regu- lations of the Revenue Department of the Government, which is supposed to look after all such matters as tamper- ing with the things which men drink and the result was that Bert Thomas of the Collector’s department and a posse made a descent upon the famed cellars of the Hoffman, to the chagrin of Sullivan and to the benefit of the treasury of the Government, for “Pop” had to ‘“square” things, and did so by paying the Government for all the barrels of water which the astute Revenue Collector figured had been used in all the time that had elapsed since Sullivan began to look so closely after the physical welfare of his nu- merous customers. It has been generally supposed that nothing is too rich for the blood of those who visit those elegant rooms back of the Hoffman, but possibly “Pop” knows better what is good for the habitues of the place than they do themselves; anyhow, the bourbon and the rye kept its color 1f not its proof, and dollars were spent to square the Government and have the case dropped, and now “Pop” swears he will be good even if every blood in town has to suffer from getting better whisky than he is accustomed to or than his internal arrangements can stand. —_—— Townsend’s famous broken candy, pure and wholesome; 2-1b. boxes 25c. 627 Pal- ace Hotel building. . Eighty-five per cent of Parisian shops are open the whole of Sunday. ————— Cough Syrup; price l0c. 417 Stop that cough with Low's Horeh*d street. FEDERAL VOLCANO SLUMBERS AT THE BIG RED BUILDING AND WELBURN TRAVELS AFAR Ten Thousand Dollars Embezzled in Chinese Frauds by Ways That Are Dark and Tricks That Are Vain. Anxious Pals Fear They Will Be Placed on the Grill. Accomplices of the Ex-Collector Are Said to Be Quite Numerous. DUMMIES DREW SALARIES. Captain Thrasher, the “The Bulldog of ‘Will Pursue Criminals. Service,” the Osca M. Welburn, late United States Internal Revenue Collector, 1§ missing. After he escaped unscorched from a prosecution for embezzlement he folded his trappings and quietly sought the seclusion of the semi-tropical solitudes of Mexico. The glint of flashing waters, the verdure of fertile valleys, the in- spiration of snowy peaks and the legends of the land of love were more fascinating to Osca than the incan- descent searchlight of Captain Thrash- er and the tedious inquisitions of Fred- eral grand jurors. Meantime the old red building where the sleuths of Uncle Sam burn a light of everlasting oil is stirred up by many rumors of defalcations, compared with which all past offenses seem petty and unworthy of mention. There is mys- tery throughout the sepulchral re- cesses of the Appraisers’ building, and wonder perches like a living entity, like an ominous raven, over the bust of Pallas, over the casements of every Custom-house window, croaking in such a way as to make many officers of the law wonder whether they are asleep over the threatening volcanoes of an official Kilauea. ‘When it is understood that the ram- ifications of the Great Offense for which Welburn was roasted over the Fiery Tortugas of the law are so far-reach- ing as to engulf the fondest hopes of many subordinates and of several prominent outsiders in their tentacles there will be no surprise that there are some employes over whose spinal coi- umns there is a perpetual play of chills and fever. It has leaked out that Captain Thrasher was not fishing to have Welburn put before the Grand Jury’'s searchlight when his lawyers asked Judge De Haven for an interpre- tation of the meaning of certain sec- tions of the Federal law. He was look- ing for accomplices, he had other game in view, and expected to grill several people over a vigorous fire. Those who have noticed the investi- gations of the Federal Grand Jury lately have wondered what stories were told by Captain Youngberg dur- ing the whispered consultations of the national question-asking body. But there is no spirit of publicity about what transpires within the sacred in- closure of the Grand Jury room, though there are many shrewd guess- ers within the precincts of the Gov- ernment inclosure. It niay be said with a great deal of certainty that there is something that would smell to heaven in the Chinese certificate business if its odoriferous revelations could be turned loose upon the unsuspecting public. That Wel- burn had pals in the work of aiding in- dividuals to profit at Government ex- pense there is no longer the slightest doubt. The Chinese registration bu- reau was a great octopus which seized many people within its tempting vet merciless clutch, but there are re- cently discovered crimes compared with which the Ciprico-Foss forgeries are trifling. When the members of that gang were arrested and sentenced to the penitentiary in April, 1895, it was generally believed that there were many possibilities of crime in the Chinese bureau, but it was not sus- pected that a prominent Government official, aided by outside schemers and ‘“grafters,” was reaping a harvest from the Mongolian branch of the Government service. The sequel to the old crimes is about to be divulged now. Just where the dart of suspicion will lodge until publicity and accusation cause the blush of humiliation to cover faces now drawn by anxiety is known to none save Captain Thrasher, the bulldog of the secret service—the man whose record as a terror to ‘“moon- shiners” south of Mason and Dixon’s line is known all over the country— and he is as speechless as the voiceless lips of the sphinx of Thebes. But two and two may be put together, and there are mathematicians who like to do such sums in cases where the caldron promises to give signs of vio- lent ebullition. = ‘Within the precincts of close guess- ing there is no better guesser than a certain lynx-eyed loiterer about the corridors of the United States courts and jury rooms. Having been a Gov- ernment officer once upon a time he knows the underground tunnels and sees by night what others cannot see by the light of day. His story is in- teresting, his facts bear the stamp of official accuracy, and his revelations are startling. “Welburn hired a great many men in the Chinese business,” said the Fed- eral seer, “and it is a dark and deep mystery what he did with all of them, though there are those who could say what became of their salaries. It is well understood that many of those who worked in the service during the rush of 1894 did not labor more than an hour a day. The payroll for the months of January, February, March, April and May show that Welburn disbursed $28,000 for assistants. Of this sum it is safe to say that $10,000 | represented the earnings of the Col- lector and his pals in the scheme, that the cost of the work should not have | exceeded $10,000 or $12,000, and that there was a conspiracy involving out- side people. It would be a good morsel for the gossips to know how extensive were the ramifications leading to vari- ous business houses. It would be even more interesting to know what sleep- less nights they passed when Wel- burn stood, as it seemed, face to face with a felon’s fate. Beyond this and still more interesting is the fact that the pals had something to do with the verdict of the jury. By ways that are known to themselves they got men of lenient views to pass on the case. 1 do not insinuate that there was any- thing wrong with the jurors who set Welburn free, but I do say that all sorts of pressure was brought to bear in favor of the culprit. When power- ful influences are insidiously at work in a great case it is not necessary to accuse anybody of crookedness in or- der ‘to account for a broad, forgiving and humane View of a man’s short- comings. “There is no longer any doubt in the minds of those who are at all on the inside that there is somebody in this hotchpotch who is willing under proper pressure, to give evidence for Marshal, whose clutch they fear by day as well as in the depths of many a night of anxiety, fear and broken rest. PELAGIC SEALING. No More Vessels Will Be Allowed to Fish in the Prohibited Waters. The following circular received yes- terday by Collector of the Port Jack- | son explains itself: “Notify all persons in your district contemplating clearance for pelagic sealing of the passage of the bill pro- hibiting sealing in the Pacific Ocean, north of the thirty-fifth degree of lat- itude, under penalty of forfeiture, a fine of $2000, and imprisonment not to exceed six months.” The last vessel clearing from this port for pelagic sealing was the Amer- ican schooner Kate and Anna, Charles Lutgens master. She cleared on De- cember 10. WILLING ANDS LEND THEIR AID Great Preparations for the Cali- fornia Golden Jubilee Going On. i Additional Organizationsto Participate- Merchants Asked to Decorate. Preparations for the great Golden Jubilee are progressing at a rapid rate and the prospects are that the af- fair will be carried out on so grand a scale that the day will become a cri- terion by which all future celebrations will be gauged as to magnificence and worth. Next Monday evening the Young Men'’s Institute will hold a meeting in the Parrott building, to make arrange- I5US ' (é)nfi/muu f 470.3. Gonsral %flml?/my emiely. Z»—/.'-:y B e, . Corvourlie Comroncller Tonry Tismsted! Locrrliry THE INVITATION. 70/// /-:/m/,{ n. ///?7 -y rar. G Y. 9S8O0 L%/W/-%Wfimowmw/ !‘1‘7///'_///// ol /}l/&,wé/raéon{/ 5 0 e ¢ Zwmy/%fl/wu{fi/u-// o2 Oy = al . ',ww:/rt—l;lrurr/ W, pOrINeInOrali oI o /,/A“///II// ,alwuvrr.)fl// fifi'flr’”f:} wwill, /mwM on- M ./fr:mi/}*fl(w/é '7/! /z;é& & K Jorwnndl: Frsedonl: 275 /'//, rserres Chasrommmn the Government. This would be done, perhaps, under promise of immunity from prosecution. While it is impos- sible for the prosecutors to force the accomplices to give evidence in-matters that might implicate them and render them liable to criminal prosecution, it is well known that they might escape by surrendering their knowledge to the Government as a fee for clemency.” There were forty-three charges of embezzlement against the late Collec- tor in the case wherein he was set free. There are twice that number of charges “In nubibus,” as the lawyers say—pending in the clouds. That a large part of the recent work of the Grand Juryhas been in connection with the new charges there is now no doubt. The only feature of the situation that puzzles the Federal officers is the fact that there is a mystery as to Wel- burn’s whereabouts. When he quietly departed some weeks ago it was given out by his son that he was in Sacra- mento. Later he was reported by the same authority to be sojourning at Sacramento, while the last bulletins located him vaguely as “up north,” but there was soon evidence for be- lieving that he was in Mexico. There are no indictments against him now. ‘Where a mau was cuts little figure as to where the present tense places him. It may be stated, in a general way, that Welburn may at this mo- ment be among the the tropical bowers of Bangkok or traversing the pampas of the Argentines, for all that Is definitely known by those most eager to hear him plead “not guilty” and face his accusers once more. It is certain that the Grand Jury now making an investigation will spoil a few quires of Government pa- per and that Samuel Knight, drawer of indictments, will make many charges “in the manner by the statutes provided” before another moon waxes and wanes. But whether all the pro- cesses of the law will be swift enough to catch the official butterfly now sail- ing on the wings of the morning time alone can tell. There are many hearts that would skip a few beats should O. M. Wel- burn appear in the midst of these com- plications. " He might be forced to tell some unpleasant things if he were again upon the rack of torture. But the haunting mystery, the ever-pres- ent and peace destroying fear of the revenue fraud accomplices is that they will be indicted even if the late de- linquent Collector returns to the scenes of his festive life no more. So a pall hovers o'er the sunshine and the flowers and many guilty minds hear | nated by Chief Sullivan. "tion with raising funds for the cele- in troubled dreams the footsteps of the | ments for a fitting participation in the monster parade. It is the intention of the parade com- mittee to request all the merchants to decorate their show windows with the golden jubilee emblems. These are expected to remain until the close of the jubilee week. An idea is now under consideration to form a separate firemen’s division in the parade, and Chairman Grady has sent a letter to the Board of Fire Com- missioners asking that as much as can be spared of the city’'s fire apparatus be sent the committee for their use in the parade, the amount to be de: The Exempt Firemen and the Veteran Volunteer Firemen will take part. Colonel J. F. Smith, chief of Grand Morshal Morse's staff, has consulted with Lieutenant Miley, chief aid to Brigadier-General Shafter, in regard to a military display, and it is assured that on January 26 and January 28 there will be a presentation of military maneuvers in some suitablé park. John L. Howard, vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce, has ap- pointed a committee in the persons of Charles R. Allen, H. J. Crocker, John Bermingham, Hugo D. Keil, Edward G. Lukens, Andrew Carrigan and Charles Miller to co-operate with the Jubilee Finance Committee in connec- 8 P! bration. A cavalcade of 1000 men, represent- ing every class interested in the his- tory of California, to act as aids, will be selected from the various parlors of the Native Sons throughout the State and will march in the division at the head of the line. Henry J. Crocker of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club and Thomas H. Williams Jr. of the California Jockey Club_have reported to the Publicity and Promotion Committee that a num- ber of both the large and the small jubilee posters will be displayed in conspicuous places at the Ingleside and Oakland tracks. On Monday the invitations which wil be sent to the Pioneers, Governors of States and other distinguished per- sons will be ready for mailing. They will be printed in black and gold on the heaviest kind of bond paper, and will be magnificent specimens of the engraver’s art. The San Francisco Schuetzen Verein, one of the largest German fraternal and rifle-shooting bodies on the Coast, has decided to participate in the pa- rade and will turn out in full stre: gth. The Amalgamated Wood Wor?(ers‘ Union No. 15 has refused the invita- tion" to participate in the celebration on the ground that the “‘discovery of gold in California has proved a curse to the majority of the people in this State.” This is the first body that has done so. The fac-simile signature of WILL KOREA BE INVADED BY RUSSIA? Japan Adopts a Firm National Policy of Non-Submission. Masses Ready to Resist the Czar Restrained by Rulers. Estimates of the Numerical Strength of the Russians at Vladivostok. AMERICAN MISSIONARIES. They Go Far Inland and Are Accused of Creating Strife and Dissension. When the steamship China arrived at Hongkong on her last voyage to the Orient one of Japan’s two monster battle-ships of 14,000 tons displacement was 4n the harbor. The two big ‘Japs,” which were recently completed, wre about the heaviest ships of war ever constructed. In the Russian squadron, now in Asiatic waters, there are several warships almost if not quite as large as the big men-of-war flying the Japanese flag. Travelers from the Orfent say that it is difficult indeed for foreigners to ob- tain anytning like an accurate estimate of the Russian army now concentrated it Vladivostok. Russia conducts all of her movements with the greatest secrecy possible. The = numerical strength of the army at Vladivostok may not be 50,000 and it may exceed 100,000 men. Frank Loring, formerly a resident of San Francisco, arrived from the Orient a few days ago. He has been engaged for several years in mercantile enter- prises in Japan and is familiar with the sentiments and temper of the Jap- He remarks that the masses 1 ady to resist Russian occupation of Korea, but that the rulers desire to wait until the new navy is completed. It is no longer a secret that Japan has resolved to fight rather than recognize the right of Russia to exercise sover- eignty in Korea. The bone of conten- tion was Korea in the war with China, and Japan will not yield to Russia what she refused -to surrender to China. It is said that Japan could se- cure perfect peace and tranquility if she would indicate to Russia a will- ingness to relinquish all claims to a voice in the administration of Korean affairs. The Mikado and his advisers understand the power and strength of Russia, but the common people are not so well informed, hence it is dif- ficult to repress the popular demand for resistance to Russian rule in the Hermit Kingdom. It is well understood now by all classes of people in Japan—the lowest as well as the highest—that a policy of non-submission to Russia has been adopted. It may be deemed advisable, pending the preparations for war, to do nothing to precipitate the conflict, but all agree that Russia cannot hold Korea without a struggle. Nothing would please the Japanese Government so much as assurances of support frorm the United ates and England. The support of England is expected and that of the United States hoped for. It is a significant fact that there is more activity among missionaries in the Orient at the present time than ever before. The American mission- ies, particularly resolute and enter- prising, are swarming into Korea. The information comes from the passenger department of the Southern Pacific railroad in this city that missionary travel to the Orient has been excep- tionally active during the past year. Tourists from the Orienty who care more for seeing the sights' than for spreading the gospel fancy that the missionaries who penetrate far inland in Asia stir up more strife than is necessary in their work. They de- mand and exact more attention than is usually accorded to others and in various ways render themselves un- popular with the ministers and con- suls residing in Asia. From all ac- counts some of the missionaries must -~ have been stirring up the Koreans against the Russians. The Russian Minister at Seoul became so enraged against their interference in public af- fairs that he wanted to order the whole tribe out of the country. ; The stupendous naval operations in the East are bound to be of great commercial advantage to San Fran- cisco. The firm of Dodge, Sweeney & Co., that recently received the largéd estimate of supplies required at Vladi- vostok, yesterday received by cable from Hongkong a very large order for provisions. NEW TO-DAY. GLANCE OVER FURNITURE, CARPETS, BEDDINGS, STOVES, BLANKETS, COMFORTS, HEATERS. CASH OR LITTLE-AT-A-TIME PAYMENTS. J. NOONAN, 1017-1019:1021-1023 Mission St., 516-518-520-522 Minna St., @BOVE SIXTH ST. Telephone, South 13. 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