The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 7, 1898, Page 2

N THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1898. a quiet state of mind, but a few min- utgs later he was prone again on the | ss. m?{"lrfin Warden Hale returned from | San Francisco he was fully armed with | legal authority to proceed with the ex- | ecution of Durrant in accordance with | the sentence pronounced by Judge | Bahrs. He filed the opinion g_h‘en him by the Attorney General advising him to proceed, in the prison records. The Warden is entirely satisfled as to the performance of ‘his duty. L e— TRUSTS IN THE LORD. Durrant Interviewed, but His Words Were Valuable. “] am prepared to die. I rely on God; Yet his voice was firm. As he talked two guards stood silent and grim be- side him. Two more just without. His mother sat in @ low rocking chair close to the screen where she had sat | for hours, and every moment keen | eves watched her. The father had gone, leaving the woman there as it to seal upon the lips of the my faith sustains me; I will die bravely.” Theodore Durrant was speaking from his cell, a cell covered with wire lest somebody reach | him and place in his hands lhei means of cheating the gn!lows.; | doc . At times, by a word of warn- ing, she would check him, ever alert to avoid a damaging admission. “] am not afraid to die,” continued the of Blanche Lamont and Minnie illiams, looking at the strong White fingers that had stifled the girls’ | cries for mercy. S “It is not awful to go to such a] death. Such a death as mine may be | the means of abolishing capital pun- | ishment in this State.” | es, it will be a grand death, Theo; Jesus died.” The mother spoken. ’ “I have been accustomed to remun- eration,” the prisoner went on, “when | for publication.” | anything Theo says now is of great value.” The mother had spoken again. On the scaffold I shall proclaim my ce to the world; that is all; it loudly. I thank God that s upon me. But this seal of a you can say it is placing up- elf a blot in murdering a guilt- or rather a guiltless boy. O not afraid. It is painful to leave father and mother this way, but I am going to a better life. The body descends, but the spirit ascends. I am | going where there shall be no more sorrc I never knew the sustaining o blood power of faith until in my lrouk_wles, I| have leaned on Christ and in him found g H rrupted the mother, “you 1 enough.” > had been offered; precious time be wasted? attention was drawn to the door, | a pause he went on: “I have ) physical fear, and there is no dis grace in going to the gallows when I | go with no stain on my soul and cer- tain that sooner or later the truth will be known.” | Occasionally the mother wept, rock- | ing in her chair. At the mention of | death she shed tears, and when the be- | lief that Theo was to die a martyr was mentioned by him her feelings again | overcame her. But the humane heart, | naturally touched by a mother’'s woe, | felt its impulses blighted when be- tween paroxysmsthe motherbethought herself that the words of her son were worth money. Durrant would not discuss any spec- fal phase of his case, nor mention more tiran his emotions, and his confidence one day nar would be ared. He av ed mention of his sire that his body be not even so much as gazed upon by stranger eyes, and harped upon the one theme that the State was about to murder him, and that he was a willing sacrifice for the good his fate might do in saving future assassins from the rope. He was willing to talk indefinitely upon the faith which buoyed him up, upon his assurance of bliss, and if he showed an inclination to wander from this line of thought his mother quickly checked | him. “Theo,” she would say firmly, “you have talked enough.” It seems almost brutal to relate the unavoidable conclusion. In an apart- ment but a few feet away stood the | gallows which awaited her son. Upon her ten fingers she could have counted ten hours to intervene before he should | dangle there, dead, forfeit to the law | so outraged and so long defied. Yet | she was the stronger of the two, her | will controiled, she gave to the inter- view its tone, and the tone was mer- | cenary. Sitting beside her son, she | seemed to alternate between mourning | for him and planning how to coin dol- | lars from his blood, a shocking and ap- | palling thing. A realization of it added | to the ghastliness of the place, seemed | to chill the air, and to make the spot | uncanny. I Durrant moved uneasily. There was | nothing more to say. He had declared | his innocence, his faith. his martyr- | dom. His mother wished him to say no more. A lady was in waiting to be told these | same things and others, the others be- | ing in the estimation of some, worth‘ a price. “Good night,” said the visitor. “Good- bye,” sald Durrant, no quaver in his voice. The interview was at an end. The lady who had been waiting stepped to the cage. She was there until the mother went away, and accompanied her. : “Why did his mother stay after the father had gone,” was a question asked among the curious at the door. “Because she was afraid that Dur- rant, if left alone, would break down and confes: vas the usual answer. Durrant manifested no desire to avoid receiving company. In fact, he | was relieved at a chance to deaden realization of the awful fact that he was spending his last night on earth. But while he talked freely, it was to reiterate his innocence. He admitted that he had given up all hope; noth- ing more. In the presence of visitors he showed no sign of weakness. His real aspect, however, could only be de- tected by a scrutiny made difficult by the wire screen. Looking intently, one could see that | his eyes were red, his face pallid and | drawn, and resting over eyes and face | like a shadow an expression of utter | despair. His seeming confidence was | that of the actor keyed up to his part. Behind his boasts was the stimulus of | fear. He was as if the ghosts of mur- dered girls haunted his memory and he had essayed to drive them away by | the hollow tones of a bravery he did not feel. He could talk while his | mother was there to guide him and she guided him to discretion. But will he never tell the dreadful | story so far concealed? There is yet time. Before he reaches the foot of the | gallows he will have to face the situa- | tion friendless alone; the secret strug- ! gling to his lips, and he about to meet his God. | When asked by a representative of | the Associated Press what he had to say he replied: *“It was a great sur- prise, but I am prepared for it.” “How do you feel?” “Hopeful, buoyant and ready to meet my Maker. I know the Lord is with me. No one knows what faith is until it is tried. T am going to a judge who has never committed a wrong and who cannot. My faith has been so strong that I have been kept up and will be sustained to the end.” % Then, turning to his mother, he said: ““Mother, 1 have come to the conclusion that it needs trial to know God.” “And you may say that to the world,” he added. A sudden thought seemed to strike why h | when his fat face appeared again it | each dally newspaper. | expressed a desire to talk to the re- | the Warden had declined to grant them | admission because of the especial re- | be allowed to talk with him. With the | such reporters as he desired to inter- | view him. "R PR A/ ol Q! LOUIS P. BOARDMAN, OF DURRANT'S COUNSEL. Durrant, for he added in a voice dif-| ferent from the earnest religious ac- cents of his previous remarks: “I have had offers of remuneration for a talk with me from the East. Have had three or four telegram His mother interrupted with “All of his words are of great value.” | No offer of compensation being made, Durrant was promptly cau- tioned to talk no more. He was will- ing to comply, but his mother being called away a moment he resumed in his former strain. “I will make no reference to the past. All will be made clear, if not in this world then in the next. I feel that 1 am perfect in Christ.” “What will you s a rather difficult qu the answer was quic voice than he had been us at the last?” was | ion to ask, but | in firmer | hands are lood, but the fair name of California | will stand stained with a crime that | can never be wiped out—the blood of an innocent man.” | At this point Mrs. Durrant returned | to the side of her son, and said rather | clean, not stained with | sharply: “There, you have said enough, Theodore; too much already, 1 am afraid.” “I will not falter at the end. I will die bravely, knowing I am going to a better world. That’s all, mother,” sub- missively replied the condemned mur- derer, as he said good by and turned his head away. A JOURNALISTIC PASTOR. He Comes in the Gospel’s Guise [ to Serve the Fleshly World. | SAN QUENTIN, Jan. 6.—When Mr. and Mrs. Durrant arrived at the prison at about 7 o'clock, having come | in a hack from San Rafael, they were accompanied by Parson Davis of Oak- | land, his pretended mission sbeing to offer spiritual consolation to the con- demned and incidentally, as was gen- erally supposed, to gather such infor- mation as might be useful to a morning paper of unscrupulous methods, He was inside for an hour or more, and was pale and pasty. He was at once besought to tell of his interview, no real newspaper men having then had access to the con- demned. Before the worthy parson could reply he was caught by a gang of ruffians, among them at least two prizefighters, and hustled into the wait- ing hack. The father of the pris- oner was with Davis, and a reporter of the paper had been concealed in the | hack. Mr. Durrant during the brief scene exclaimed, “Have you no respect for a minister of the gospel?” | Nobody responded in the affirmative, | but Davis, with his silk hat awry and | his face paler and pastier than ever, rolled from the prison door. The prize fighters exchanged (:ongrntula-' tions, but over what did not appgar, as there was nothing gained by their display of ruffianism, the arrangement being that if the representative of one paper should be admitted all the other papers should be similarly favored, and this was fully carried out, no | morning paper being denied. Immediately upon returning from San Francisco, after having been in- structed by the Attorney General to proceed with the hanging, Warden Hale announced that Durrant might see one representative in turn from Durrant had | porters on the previous evening, but quest of General Dickinson that none decision of the Attorney General that the execution was not stayed by the bill of exceptions filled in the Superior Court, he further advised that Durrant should be permitted to meet to-night It was thought at first that fair play in this respect would be rendered im- possible by the unscrupulous methods common to the San Francisco newspa- per that has been contributing so much maudlin and hysterical literature to the revolting features of this case. At the first break the journalistic minister and his backers made to reach Durrant, objection was made on the ground that the so-called minister of the gospel was in reality serving as a newspaper reporter in disguise. The charge was justified by the assertion of one of the men having him in charge, made to a friend who tried to vigit him at the hemdquarters of this degrading conspiracy. “You can’t see him; we have him under contract.” Upon having the design brought to their attention the prison officials in- sisted that the new spiritual adviser should have no special newspaper priv- ileges, and that if he was taken to Durrant any other reporters whom the condemned man desired to see should be admitted to the screen. Fi- nally the Durrants, taking alarm at the tempest raised, for all the other newspaper representatives had com- bined in protest, agreed that a repre- sentative of each newspaper should be granted an audience. Mrs. Durrant stald with her son un- til after the last interviewer had de- parted, coaching him throughout. She left the jail at 11:22 and Durrant im- medlately after she ‘had gone threw himself ‘on the couch to sleep and dream of the morrow. The latest word received privately from the death chamber tells that he was utterly downcast and wretched be- fore his mother arrived to-night. She | are so cunningly remained with him at the outside of the cell screen until a late hour and stood by to keep him resolute until the | last visitor had come and gone. She was careful to see that he confined his | speech to religion and uncompromis- ing subjects with every interviewer. ooty Lo FINAL ARRANGEMENTS. What Will Be Done in the Death Chamber This Morning. | SAN QUENTIN PRISON, Jan. 6.—If the arrangements are carried out to the letter to-morrow morning Theodore Durrant will expiate the Emmanue Church crimes. 3 If the fears and prediction of his guards are fulfilled the execution will | not be wanting in exira sensational features, for they foretell his abject collapse when he faces the hangman. If Durrant carries out his announced intention he will deliver a prayer and protest his innocence while the execu- tioner poises the black cap for his head. If he does neither, if he mounts the trap with his old-time nerve and ac- cepts his fate in silence perhaps not more than a minute will be consumed | between his departure from the death chamber and his death fall. No one | seems to anticipate a confession. It | is expected of him that he will die with | sealed lips so far as his crimes are con- cerned. He will enact his religious farce to the end, unless the universal opinion here errs. It is the present intention of the | Warden to enter the death-chamber about § o’clock and read the death war- rant. Before Durrant is led to the gallnwsl by his guards his mother will be al-& lowed a last interview. Every precau- | tion will be taken to prevent the carry- | ing out of any plan of suicide that may | be contemplated, and the parting scene | will be kept within reasonable bounds as to time. | A few moments before the condemn- ed man is taken to the scaffold those who received permission to witness the | closing tragedy of Durrant’s career will | be admitted to the execution chamber. | Three men will have preceded them by another and private entrance and | taken their positions in a booth erected | for them on the scaffold. They will be | 80 placed that they can see the hang- | man, while the spectators cannot see | them. Durrant will mount the scaffold at- | tended by his guards and spiritual ad- | visers. When the black cap and rope have been adjusted the executioner | will point his right -hand to heaven. | This will be the signal for the three men each to sever the strand of rope over which each stands with a keen edged knife resting against it. One of these three strands, which | intertwined as to| conceal from every living conscious- | ness the one which communicates with the trap trigger, will drop Durrant to | death. The thud of the strained rope | will be lost in the awful crash of the trap as it swings from under the feet of the criminal and is caught by its fasteners. Thus will Theodore Durrant die. The craven attitude of the murderer, which is now revealed in the hour of his despermtion and hopelessness, is in striking contrast with the bravado which sustained him so long and which puzzled the analyst. He is no | longer the innocent stoic, the fearless | religionist. The nature of his kind | comes to the surface at last, as the grim hand of avenging death reaches | out to clutch him. ——— BOARDMAN BEFORE COURT His Application for Writs and Orders All Denied. WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan: 6.— Louis P. Boardman arrived here early this morning from San Francisco to make a last desperate effort to save Durrant’s life. He endeavored to con- ceal his presence in Washington and registered as a commerclal traveler at the Hotel Raleigh under the assumed name of “Charles A. Ceare, Chicago.” But The Call correspondents had re- ceived information that he would be Pere to-day and it was not long until they discovered that Ceare of Chicago was the man they wanted. Mr. Boardman's talk of an hour with Justice Brewer was fruitless. The Justice daclined to interfere with the eéxecution. Mr. Boardman appeared to be very much down-cast when the two emerged from the Supreme Court chambers, “Well, I guess it's all up with Dur- rant, boys,” said he as he related the story of his interview with Justice Brewer. Mr. Boardman then said he would, however, make one last effort to save Durrant. before the full bench to- morrow. The court does not meet un- til 12 o'clock, and therefore whatever he does must be done quickly, for Durrant’s execution is set for 10:30 o’clock. Mr. Boardman has never been ad- mitted to practice before the Supreme Court, and he will not attempt to be, for this would consume a good deal of time, and it will be precious to-mor- TOW morning. “There is one motion that I can make, however, without being admit- ted to the bar, and that {s a motion for a writ of habeas corpus,” said he to-night. “What will be your method of gain- ing recognition?” was asked. “Why, when the court meets at 12 I will simply rise in my place and make the motion,” said he. It is very evident, however, that Mr. | the execution would disregard it. | H. Hammon. Boardman has abandoned all hope, and realizes that Durrant will hang to- morrow morning. “But,” says he, “if by the merest pos- sibility my motion should be granted, the telegram announcing a stay of ex- ecution could be rushed to San Quentin in time to save him, provided the wires are working all right, for when it is 1 o'clock here (an hour after the court meets) it is only 10 o'clock at San Quentin. “'Are the Justices aware that you will make the motion for a writ of habeas corpus?” was asked. “They are not,” said he, “for I did not fully make up my mind to do it un- til after my conversation Wwith Jus- tices Brewer and Harlan.” Justice Brewer refused both of At- torney Boardman's applications for in- terference in the case. Immediately after the adjournment of the Supreme Court at 4 o'clock Jus- tice Brewer repaired to the Attorney | General's room, where he received Mr. Boardman and went over the case in detail with him. He first considered the application to sign a citation upon the appeal which was sought to be ta- ken from the judgment of the Federal Clreuit Court of Californiadenying the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus, the object being to perfect the appeal. The application was refused, and then Mr. Boardman presented an ap- plication for a writ of error from the judgment of the Supreme Court of Cal- ifornia upon the appeal from the last order of Judge Bahrs fixing the date for Durrant’s execution, the object be- ing to secure a writ of supersedeas, which would act as a stay of proceed- ings. In this matter Mr. Boardman sought to have the order denying this appeal considered as the final judgment of the Supreme Court in the case. In denying the application upon the habeas corpus proceedings, Justice Brewer said that under the construc- tion by the court of the constitution, the Federal courts had no power of limitation upon the right of appeal in habeas corpus proceedings, the ouinion bcvlng that such appeals should not be allowed where the appeal operates to suspend the power of the State author- ities, and especially where the case has already been heard upon one appeal in a habeas corpus proceeding. With reference to the writ of error he considered especially the represen- tation of Mr. Boardman upon the claim that as the constitution of California grants an appeal such an appeal be- comes a vested right. The Justice con- sidered this point carefully, but said that as he could not accept the court’s judgment on this point as its final ac- tion, he could not, therefore, see his way clear to interfere on this account. Mr. Boardman pointed out that the probable execution of Yurrant to-mor- row would have the practical effect of making the judgment final so far as it should bear upon his fortunes, but the Justice held to his original determina- tion in the matter. The interview lasted forty minutes. As to the legality of a telegraphic stay of execution, one of the justices of the Supreme Court sald to-night: “It is a matter that, so far as I know, has never been legally tested, but in case of a telegraphic stay being sent, properly attested by the clerk of the court, T ghould think it would be most unlikely that the warden in charge of In case of such disregard the court might very properly take cognizance of the matter afterward, but in this case it would be too late to benefit the pris- oner. Owing to the pecullar urgency of the case, I should say that every facility will be given the attorney for the condemned for a speedy hearing, whatever the action of the court may be.” THE STORM NOT OVER. The Drought Broken by a Wel- come but Slight Rain- . ‘Fail. If it's up it's not down and if it's down It's not up, according to the Weather Bureau’s forecast official, W. Of course he is speaking of his trustworthy barometer. He is of the drops, more rain, which was so badly wanted, will fall, and vice versa. For two days rain had been predicted and no rain was in evidence, but the third fair weather was looked for and rain came In plenty. supposed to be no account. In northern California there will probably be fresh winds and rain to- day, and it is predicted that the storm is traveling toward the southern por- tien of the State. The rainfall in San Francisco up to the present time has been light, but throughout the country | surrounding Santa Rosa and Glen EIl- len a heavy fall is reported. Utah, southern Idaho, New Mexico as well as Texas, will come in for a portion of the rain. San Joaquin Val- ley and scuthern California will prob- ably receive a light fall within the next twenty-four hours. —_———— New Streetcar Fender. As soon as they are able Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Tucker will place before the Super- visors a new life and limb saving device to be attached to the street cars. The lady and gentleman live at 161 San Carlos avenue in the Mission, and for the past two years they have been perfecting their invention, for which a patent has been asked. The new fender consists of an apron with a movable lip. Apron and lip, while operated together, can also be | operated separately by the two levers that always stand at the hands of the motorman or gripman. The levers are held by ratchets, €0 as to keep the con- trivance from striking when going over | uneven ground. The inventors claim that any ordinarily active operator can easily lCnnr up an object or a person and carry it along until the car can be stopped. One of the principal advantages claimed for the thing is that 4t is so con- structed that no one can get under the car to which it is attached. Paclfic Lodge, 1 O B. B. Pacific Lodge No. 48, 1. O. B. B, has elected the folloqwing officers for the term next ensuing: uis Ehrlich, president; J. Schwitzer, vice-president; Jacob Gans, secretary; A. Kaplan, treasurer; Pincus Harris, warden; G. Bearwald, outside ard; H. Schwartz, D. Davis and Louis etzger, trustees; H. Bush, hall director; Marc Newman, medical ex- aminer; Henry Schwartz, D. Davis, Jacob Gans, Willam Geist and Louis Metzger, representatives to the Grand Lodge. ’ —_——————a Past Masters’ @ssoclation. The following officers of the Past Masters’ and Mogulian Knights' Asso- ciation, A. O. U. W., have been installed by W. H. Barnes, P. P. and P. G. M. W.: Past president, John Hartley; president, C. 8. Curtis; vice-president, F. O. Kraul; recorder, F. J. McGuire; financier, E. A. Smith; treasurer, P. Abral n: ser- A. Smith; watchman, T. B ance committee—J. Hartley, E. F. Joy and P. A. Smith; amusement committee—W. Malloy, H. Barnes and W. H. Jordan. e The Statlonary Engineers. ‘The following named officers of San Francisco No. 1 of California National Assoclation of Stationary Engineers were installed last Tuesday night for the en- suing term: C. C. Elsasser, president; A. M. Locke, vlce:‘presldent: J. W. Leary, treasurer: W. T. Bonney, corresponding and recording secretary: H. M. Caldwell, financial secretary; L. W. Holbrook, con- ductor: P. Madden, door-keeper, and H. W. Meyers, trustee. The installation was followed by a smoker and a short pro- gramme of entertainment. Ta Cure a Cold in One Day. Take Laxative Bromo Quinin: Tablets. All ts refund the it it fails to cure. %Ze. The genulne has L. B. Q. on each tablet. opinion that if the merecury | Now the flat map is | ANGERED BY FAIR PLAY OF THE CALL Los Angeles Papers in Spasms Over Webb. £ They Have Evidently United in Selecting Him for a Vietim. However, the Violations of the Law by Braly Are | Overlooked. | PECULIAR PROSECUTIONS. Men Most Active in the Los Angeles School Scandal Connected With Corporations. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6.—Two of the local papers are in spasms of blind anger over what they assume to term The Call's defense of Walter L. Webb, the accused member of the Board of Education. No attempt is made to deny or refute the facts and circumstances comprised in the signed statement of the accused man, nor of the offenses placed at the door of School Director | and Banker Braly and others, who are positively known to be guilty of crimi- nal acts. It is a notorious fact that three of the local papers, the Times, Herald and | Express, have condemned Webb and | have assumed him to be guilty in the face of the admitted fact that no legal evidence has been adduced to connect ‘Webb with the bribery that has been predicted. They have published gar- bled reports, distorted out of all sem- blance to the testimony and develop- ments, and have apparently combined | to punish Webb, whether he be guilty or innocent. Not only have they done this, but | they have willfully ignored facts which showed the guilt of a leader in the | present movement for municipal re- | form. Two of these papers, the Times | |and Express, to-day actually took up | the defense of a man who they must know is guilty of a more heinous | erime, according to the law, than that | charged against Webb. Reference is made to the case of J. A. Braly, the | School Director and banker, who en- | gaged in the shaving of teachers’ war- rauts in clear violation of the laws of the State. | Every fair-minded and impartial| citizen of this city admits that Webb has not been given fair treatment by the local press, and it was simply in deference to this sentiment, which is rapidly growing, that The Call under- took to give the facts inthis unfortu- nate affair as they actually existed. It is not the question of Webb's guilt or innocence that is just now engrossing attention, but the subject of fair and just treatment to all con- | cerned. All that The Call has under- | taken to do in this matter is to give | the news—not to distort or pervert any | fact or circumstance—but to simply | give the facts as they develop and | leave the public to form its own judg- | ment. | How thoroughly and unfairly the | Times is prejudiced is shown by the following paragraph in its half col- umn editorial attack on The Call: i “Another member of the School | Board, against whom no charges have | been found, is stigmatized in a most | uncomplimentary manner and his bus- | iness is referred to after a fashion that | may be libelous.” The ‘“other mem- ber” here referred to by the Times is J. H. Braly. It is true that ‘“no charges have been found” against | him, and therein is where justice and | the League for Better City Govern- | ment and the Times, the Herald and | the Express have falled. { In the case of Mr. Braly, who is a member of the League, by the way, the evidence is incontrovertible, it is doc- umentary and the facts constituting | the violations of the law by him are admitted by that gentleman. In the case of Webb, the evidence is acknowledged, even by his enemies, to be of a very precarious character. Not | a few people are now asking “Why does | not the League for Better City Gov- ernment, if it is sincere in its work of cleaning out the rascals, take action | against Braly, Cooper, Rhode, Morris | and Clara Schroeter, at least to the ex- tent of having them removed from | their positions by the Board of Edu- cation?"” As part of its editorial attack, the Express has this to say of the Call: “It sets forth the conspiracy story, | which he that hath ears long enough | may believe, and follows this up with | a brutal and utterly unwarranted at- tack on another member of the board and a deliberate effort to injure his business interests.” This much the Express states and no more. Where the brutality figures in disclosing the guilt of J. H. Braly, a public official, it fails to say. Nor does it show In what respect this is an “ut- terly unwarranted attack.” Not a sin- gle fact printed by The Call in rela- tion to Mr. Braly is denled by either | the Express or the Times. The records are in the office of the City Auditor, and whoever has any curiosity in the mat- ter has the right to inspect them. Another question asked by the people here and one which every fair minded American citizen would like to see an- swered by the local papers is why have these papers apparently determined to convict Webb and to acquit Braly. It may be stated at this point that The Call stands ready at this and all times to aid in the eradication of cor- ruption, in the punishment of corrup- tionists an® In the establishment of good government. Webb may be guil- ty, and many people believe he is, but no one has been found by The Call cor- respondent who does not admit that there has been no legal testimony brought out against him. A prominent attorney and a gentle- man who believes that Webb may be guilty of the charges preferred against him thus expresses what is the senti- ment of the better and conservative people: “There is no question that the local papers, with the exception of the Rec- ord, have been hounding Webb. They have pronounced him guilty despite the absence of testimony to prove him s0. He may be gullty, but if the news- papers are to be permitted to single out a man and thus wantonly con- demn him in the eyes of the public no man, no matter how high his standing in the community, is safe from such attacks. It is unjust; it is unfair; it is un-American, and outrages the best feelings of decent people. The Call, in | Baron von Buelow, the German For- | | shadowed, and the suggestion of the | my opinion, has simply taken up this matter, and rightly, on the broad and liberal ground of malice toward none and justice for all, and deserves the gratitude and support of every right- thinking individual.” ‘Webb in his signed statement charged that he was being made the victim of a conspiracy in which the League for Better City Government for political reasons, and the *friends of Miss Mae Owen, the deposéd school- teacher, for the purposes of revenge, were taking part. In this connection some significant relationships are be- ing cited among the individuals prom- inent in the Webb prosecution. W. B. | Cline, T. E. Gibbon and W. A. Cheney | are the three gentlemen who were most | solicitous and active in behalf of Miss Owen. Cline is president of both the Los Angeles Lighting Company and | the Los Angeles Electric Company. T. E. Gibbon, who is director of the | League for Better City Government, is the attorney for the Los Angeles Elec- tric Company, and was, before he went East on other business, the attorney in charge of the prosecution against | ‘Webb. He is also vice-president of the | Los Angeles Terminal Railway Com- pany. Cheney, the leading counsel now in the prosecution of Webb, is the attor- | ney for the Los Angeles Lighting Com- | pany, but a recent acquaintance of | Miss Mae Owen, and declines to state whether or not he is the personal at- torney of Cline. F. K. Rule, the president of the League for Better City Government, is auditor, secretary and treasurer of the Los Angeles Terminal Railway Com- pany, of which Gibbon is vice-presi- | dent. TO KEE;’ “ THE CZAR IN CHECK. | Continued from First Page. occupation of Hainan Island is gene- ral here. BERLIN, Jan. 6.—The German press is indulging in a tone of extravagant self-satisfaction over the success of | German diplomacy in China. The fact | that Emperor Willlam could personally | confer the order of the Red Eagle on eign Minister, for his share in the af- | fair, indicates that the Emperor is de- lighted with the outcome of his policy. The newspapers, with the exception | of the Vossische Zeitung, are full of | sneering remarks at England's expense. | The Vossische Zeitung, however, points out that there is plenty of room for everybody, and even suggests that the time has arrived for a “better under- standing between England and Ger- many.” The rather apologetic tone of the North German Gazette in its semi-[ official article yesterday seems to bear reflection of the feeling in some quar- | ters that the acquisition of a coaling | station is hardly the realization of the great colonial enterprise which the blaze of Prince Henry's departure fore- possibility that Kiaochau might prove | unsuitable leads many to ask whether | Germany, after all, has taken a leap | in the dark. | It is now discovered that if Germany | mcves north she is bound to clash with Russian interests; if further south, then with English interests. Already | it is proposed to establish a branch of | the German-Asiatic Bank at Kiaochau | and postal regulations will be issued. | The Government is ordering the prepa- | ration of maps and charts of the dis- | trict and proposes to begin the explor- | ation of the coal beds of Shantung peninsula immediately. | Various rumors are current as to the | conferences of the powers to settle the | Chinese question, but none can be re- lied upon. Herr Richter, in the Freis- sinige, thinks an unnecessary noise has been raised for what he calls an ome- lette, and he says he cannot perceive | any commercial advantage in the ac- | quisition of Kiaochau. | The North German Gazette, in a| semi-official article, says: | “The development of affairs in East | Asia is becoming more tranquil. The | trouble was caused by the political an- tagonism of Great Britain and Rus- sia, but behind the political antagon- ism now appears an economic one, | which, however, should be arranged | with little difficulty. There is no rea- | son why one state should exclusively | undertake the Chinese loan. The in- | dications are in favor of dividing the | loan.” | In another article the North German | Gazette says: “The main purport of | the Chinese agreement shows in full | light the German objects in Eutem} Asia, which are free from all violence. | Germany does not seek to force her way into Chinese territory -as a con- queror, but she will peacefully develop that conceded to her, As in all Ger- many's transmarine enterprises, fur- ther action is subordinate to modera- tion. The arrangement has strength- ened rather than prejudiced the China- Germany relationship. Moreover, we have, from an economic and commer- cial point of view, secured an advan- tage which we could not renounce without self-depreciation.” VIENNA, Jan. 6.—~The Deutsche Zei- tung, echoing German feeling, says: “England has suffered a crushing de- feat, but there is no fear of war. The British lion roars, but he does not bite. All civilized nations ought to be grate- | ful to Emperor Willlam for having de- stroyed the myth of Great Britain's universal domination.” @ FOLK-SONG RECITAL. A Distinguished Enptertainment Given by Miss Villa Whit- ney White. Miss Villa Whitney White gave the first of a series of three lecture reci- tals of German folk-song at the Cali- | fornia Theater last night, before an audience which, in point of size, was ridiculously inadequate to the value of the entertainment. To the very few lovers of music who attended the evening was one of refined and unique charm. Miss White is a young woman of delightful personality, good educa- | tion and good sense; her volce is full | and sympathetic, both in speech and song; and she sings with appreciation. There is something almost repressed in her way of giving the songs—and this seems to intensify and make more delicately evident her understanding of the folk-song, of which music alone can never be more than half. And In this she is splendidly aided by Miss Mary B. Dillingham, who accompa- nies on the piano with rare insight and plasticity. Miss White gives to the text its full value; first telling the story in [ ————— ] | the body until the detectives came. | that he declined to hol | ety English, then singing it in the original tongue. She weds the words and the melody so beautifully that you have at once the picture, perfume and spirit— the song itself. In these days of ram- pant virtuosity and sensationalism it is a lovely thing to now and then get back to the modesty of music. Lecture sounds so formidable a word I dislike associating it with Miss ‘White’s little discourses on the devel- opment and significance of folk-song. Say that she talked, not too formally and yet with pretty precision and au- thority, of the vital part the folk-song has played in the music of Western Europe of its almost extermination at the hands of the contrafuntalists— of its renascent popularity, due to the Florentine melodists; of how it crys- tallized song-verse; of its early har- monic structure; of the evolution of | its accompaniment, from Hans Hasler Schubert, to Schumann, to Brahms. In all Miss White sang nineteen numbers, covering in a more or less degree and chronological order the en- tire history of folk-song. The remain- ing recitals will be of a more special- ized nature, to-morrow night's being devoted exclusively to the Schubert cyclus and the Saturday matinee to the cyclus of ten by Alexander von Felitz and groups of Welsh, Irish, English and Scotch. 8. ———————— Clever Thleves Caught. Lou Keller and George Abrams were arrested by Captain Callundan and offi- | cers Daws and Allen of the Morse De- tective Agency last evening and booked at the California Station for petit lar- ceny. The prisoners have been suspected of thieving for some time, and the offl- cers have been on the watch for them. Abrams works at a hardware store at 113 Battery street, and last evening was seen to hand Keller a package which he brought from the store, This was found to contain three dozen Yale locks. There is supposed to be a confederate of the men working at Langley & Michael's drug store. Keller has been selling dru$s and hardware from time to time at dif- ferent stores, and it was through this ;haxt the detectives learned of the rob- eries. ——————— Found Dead by Her Children. Mrs. Ann Cooper was found dead by her children at her home, 2315 Mason street, yvesterday afternoon. She was sitting at a table, with her head resting on her hands. The little ones thought her asleep, but being unable to awake her, sent word to the father, who works in the Danforth warehouse, and he noti- fied Policeman Olsen. ' The officer thought the case a suspiclous one, and told the Deputy Coroner not to ’°“§2 investigation proved that the woman had | died from natural causes. B The Presiding Judge. The Police Judges, with the exception of Judge Conlan, met at noon Wednes- day and elected Judge Campbell the pre- siding Judge for the next six months. Judge Conlan was holding court at the time and gave that as a reason for not attending the meeting, but it was said that there was a v\'(‘ifihlir’r reason, and himself responsi- ble for the action of the other Judges. —_————— Stage Robbers Brought to the City. James H. Davis and Edgar L. Davis, the two brothers who were arrested for holding up a stage in Mendocino County seveml months age, were brought to the by Ex-Sheriff Stanley last evening and lodged in the County Jail. The men are to appear before the United States Grand Jury next week on the charge of attempt to rob the mails. —_——— Gas Poisoning Again An inquest will be held on the body of the late Catherine Downes, who was asphyxiated by illuminating gas last Tuesday. Expert testimony will be given by Professor Green and Professor Wen=- zell. —_—— Saloon Keeper Insolvent. Augustin Martin, a saloon-keeper, has been adjudged insolvent. His Mabilities are scheduled at $339.13 and his assets at EAK. The first thing weak men do is to get downhearted. You must not do that. Your only chance is to ask help. You can find it. If you are listless and timid you want to be braced up. You want to become a full man again—a great man and a powerful man. “Hudyan" is the only thing that can make you as vigorous as you once were. “Hudyan” can be had only from the Hudsonian doctors. It has been given by them to people all over the world. It has cured people all over theworld. It will cure you—make a man of you. It will replace wasted vital force at once. No more weak knees after this treatment, and nothing but full pleasure in life. Don't be weak another hour. Free advice! Freecirculars! Certain and prompt restoration! Little ulcers, copper- colored spots, loosening teeth, mean blood taint. Beware! *30- day blood cure” drives that all out of the system as surely as “Hud- " makes manhood. These yan' circulars free, too. Don't be WEAK. ‘| HUDSON MEDICAL INSTITUTE, | Stockton, Market and Ellis Streets, | SAN FRANCISCO. e — THE SAN FRANCISCO NEWS COMPANY moven From Post Street to 842-850 Geary Street, Above Powell. Books, Stationery and Periodicals, Wholesale and Retail. USHE FOR BARBERS, BAK- ers, bootblacks, bath- BR houses, and.nblm brewers, bookbinders, candy-makers, canners, dyers, flourmills, foundries, laundries, paper: hangérs, printers, painters, shoe 1, stablemen, tar-roofers, B “fi‘:‘fl‘ BUCHANAN s Brueh Manufacturers, 609 SacramentoSt 3