The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 17, 1900, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXIX—NO. 17. SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1900. MARY HOFFMAN AND REV. LE BARON JOHNSON MISSING an ca Disapp The oung Lady Is the Daughter of . - = = + | | | , | ‘ | i | | 1 : B MISS MA HOFFMAN, DAUGHTER OF SOUTHARD HOFFMAN OF NCISCO. OSE DISAPPEARANCE FROM NEW YQRK IS T OF REV, JAMES LE BARON JOHNSON. * F U it was announced, having remain abroad longer ose of taking the waters at Spa. She and her mother came home about the middle of the sum- id not join her husband, ho: t to live with her mother. Johnson, whose nervous rse, went to Glen ¢ advice of his ime it is sald that wife h not lived Almost simultaneously with the disap- son frem the sani- two years has at- evue Training School for , left that institution very sudden- afternoon. It is sald that San Francisco. Mr. Johnson frequent visits to Miss Hoffman's ward for the purpose of visi! contact with Miss Hoffman, and re- wed a friendship which originated in Francisco. Miss Hoffman, who is in her own right, entered -the ng schoel for nurses simply for the purpose of gaining experience. She made excellent progress, and was at the head of her which Is to graduate early in January 4 Miss Brennan, who is in charge of the chool, said last night that she knew of eason for Miss Hoffman’s sudden de- pa; except that told her last Wednesday that she had re- h containing bad news in San Francisco and was obliged to leave forthwith | ass, T ure, ving Tac nd rema ma he sald that Miss Hoffman her whether she intended re- turning to the ar course, which is s only of completion. d that the young wo- cannot receive a diploma_until she has completed the course. CHARITY WORK HER FAD. Miss Hoffman a Favorite in San Francisco Society. Miss Hoffman first announced her inten- giving up society to become a wurse in July, 158. For three or to that time she had been ac- engaged In charitable work. In so- In the mearest engine-house a CCL¥ CParity was looked upon as her fad. ty to hitch She was a constant visitor at the Chil- horee and DUEEY at each alarm ang | Arew's Hospital, and during that time It Mr. Johnson's residence, or :‘as ‘:‘“ she fyymed the purpose to fit v ight be, fo! of | herself as a trained nurse. e e tas soene of the Are. || 3Miss Hoffman inherited 5000 from the Jonmson met the family of Miss | SState Of Chatles Mayne, a life-long friend o Van Rensselaer after coming to | Of Judse Ogden Hoffman, her uncle. A ew York, and in Gue time became en- | LK® legacy was left to Miss Alice Hofr- gaged to the young woman. The wedding | 20, Who is one of the best of the lady k place at Grace Church on April %, golf players of the coast, but litigation was one of the most brilliant af- kept her out of her inheritance. Her sis- has taken place there. Mrs. | ter May, with weaith of her own at her coon after her marriage ex. | COmmand, was most liberal in aid of her o4 her disapproval of her husband's | deloved charities. Tall, athletic and £ to fires, end told him so | bandsome, a perfect Glbson type, Mis: is said, especially in view | Hoffman ignored the protests of family e fact that going to fires at all hours | 34 friends, and in October, 183, she ldft ay and night was seriously affect- for New York to enter the Bellevue Hos- narvoss ayiias. . N5a selingll be | FIOAL Ser & three Jars’ comive in g his fondness for the excitement of | 2% & nurse. g fires, however, and it is sald se- | AS far as her San Francisco friends ifferences arose between the couple knew, Miss Hoffman's enthusiasm for her e of this fact. He frequently vis- | chosen work had not waned. During her 4 mick firemen in the Sturgis ward at | Yisits home since her first departurs for Bellevue Hospital New Y::: there :as no’ hin: of any cool- M - ing ambition or decreasing interest. . The e e B obe | 1ast of these visits was but two months Mr. Johnson returned | 280- b weas connected with the city re alarm telegraph and which recorded glarm that was sent to the fire de- t was constan tively y on sc sselaer, alone & Zfew months later, Mrs. sonmnnmn.muuw.m.lmummwfi pear From New York About the Same Time and This Strange Coincidence Is a Cause of Comment. er Is Assistant Rector of Grace Church and the comes the discovery | ng firemen nts, and thus was frequently brought | the young woman | ol for the purpose a!.‘ Southard Hoffman. i man, who is clerk of the United States Circuit Court, denles any knowledge of | his daughter’s departure from New York. He insists that the report from New York must be an errc ““We heard from her a few days ago,”| Mr. Hoffman said last evening, *‘and there | was no hint even given of any intention | on her part to leave for San Francisco un- | til after the middle of February, when | she will complete her course in the hos- | pital. We certainly would have heard | from her had she changed her plans.” 3 JOHNSON A GREAT FAVORITE. Made Many" Friends During His Sojourn in Tacoma. | TACOMA, Wash., Dec. 16.—Twelve years | ago James Le Baron Johnson arrived in | Tacoma from his Staten Island home a | fresh-faced, -cheeked youth. He en- tered the Metropolitan Savings Bank, con- trolled by George Vanderbilt of New York, of which he later became assistant cashier. He n became popular social- ly and developed a fad or special liking for the Tacoma Fire Department. He lived part of the e with the firemen and took special delight in sliding down | > on short notice and going to a | secame interested in Eplscopal | church work about the same time and was made a lay reader. His social proclivities took him to numerous dances, which fact jed to some slight criticism of his con- duct by Rev. Dean Richmond Babbitt, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, This lost him none of his popularity with classes and was more than offs Johnson's success in raising money. which to build St. Andrew's Epi Church chapel in the West End. For two vears he was in charge of the services there as lay reader. About 185 Mr. John- son decided to go to New York and study for the ministry under Rev. Dr. Hunting- ton, rector of Grace Church. His time in New York was spent diligently, and two vears ago he was ordained to the minis- | try by Bishop Potter, assisted by his father, Archdeacon Johnson of Staten Isl- and. In New York Johnson continued his Fire Department services and was grant- ed special privileges by the metropolitat department. Something less than two years ago Mr. Johnson married in New York Miss Van R ler, daughter of a very wealthy New ¥grk woman and de- séendant of the ol idson River family of that name. He visited Tacoma but once since his departure in A few weeks ago word was received here that he was soon to be transferred to the rec- torship of a small Episcopal church somewhere in California. Some thought this must be on account of his wife's health, as he was supposed to otherwise prefer work in New York or some other | large city. | ATTACKS THE LEGALITY OF WATER BOND ISSUE Spencer H. Smith Files Suit on Be- | half of Citizens of Los Angeles. | LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16.—The validity of the §2,000,000 worth of bonds issued by the city to acquire municipal ownership of the city water supply is attackdd in a suit filed yesterday in the Superior Court | by Spencer H. Smith. The suit is brought | on behalf of citizens who desire to obtain | the return of the taxes they have paid into the treasury for the payment of the | principal and interest of the bonds. The | issue of school bonds voted for about the | time the twater bonds were carried has been declared illegal by the Supreme | | Court. It remains now to be detérmined | whether the issue of the water bonds will | stand the test of law. The water bonds were voted by more | [ than a two-thirds vote of the people on | | August 23, 1599, Arbitrators had fixed the | | price of the propefty sousht to be ac- quired at $1,183,561 2. Adding to this the | cost of the improvements necessary to ob- | tain an adequate supply of water, the | total cost was fixed at. $2,090,000. | In his complaint Smith asserts that the | alleged election for the bonds was fl]exa.l and that there was not a legal vote cast | in favor of the measure. WHY RUSSIA HOLDS ROAD, ‘Will Relinquish Control When For- eign Troops Evacuate. | ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 16.—The Ofi- | cial Messenger publishes an inspired statement as to the views of the Russian Government concerning the Yangtsun- Han Kwang Railroad, repudiating the charges that the Russians have acted fl- legally in holding the line, contending | that Russia’s action was necessitated by military considerations, declining to | recognize the British as owners of the line, but admitting that they have the preponderating financial iInterest, and, finally, promising to restore it to the for- mer administration after the foreiga troops have evacuated the province of Chill. s el TWO THOUSAND SHOPS AND HOUSE: DESTROYED | Forty Natives Perish in a Conflagra- tion That Sweeps Over a Por- tion of Canton. TACOMA, Dec. 16.—Two thousand shops and houses were burned at Canton on No- vember 16. About forty natives perished. Governor Nieh of Kiang Su has sent a present of silks, satins and embroideries worth 60,000 taels to the Empress Dow- ager at Nsiam for her birthday. The San Shi Bank of Yokohama has failed, owing 100,000 yen, in consequence of the defalcation sé—the cashier - of - the Toklo branch. He lost 100,000 yen specu- red WOMEN WO WOULD LYNCH MISS JESSIE Friends of Slain Mrs. (astle Threaten Violence. Express Desire 0 String Up the Morrison Girl to Nearest Tree. | Indignation Meeting Held but No Action Is Taken Because a Leader Is Lacking. o Speclal Dispatch to The Call WICHITA, Kas, Dec 16.—Twenty in- | furiated women held an indignation meet- ing at Eidorado this morning and pro- posed to lynch Jessie Morrison, the slayer of Mrs. Olin Castle. The meeting was held at the residence of Mrs. Stevenson, and conspicuous among those present was the mother of the murdered woman, Mrs. Roland, Wiley. Soon after the meeting was called to order some one in the crowd proposed that every one present go after Miss Morrison, take her out to the near- est tree and strine her up. The absence of one who had sufficient courage to take the lead in the matter was the only rea- son the proposition was not carried into immediate effect. As it is, indignation is strong in Eldorado, and the women may vet carry out their threat at any mo- | ment. The mother of the slain woman | took no part in the proceedings, but showed evident satisfaction that a body of women were about to avenge the death of her daughter, which the law of the State had failed to do. Mrs. Johnson, who took a prominent part in the meeting, dilated at some length on the outrage that had been done woman- hood by the jury which failed to return a verdict of guilty against the accused sirl. The members of the jury were also roundly scored by other women nt. When told of the proposition of the wo- men Jessie Morrison sald: “It’s all bluff work on the part of some of my enemies, and I have no fear of any violence. If they should come after me they will find some one to take my part, I guess. I will not leave this town until I get ready. The jury did not do as I wanted them, but they proved I was not guilty.” Little else was discussed at the meeting but the alleged outrageous manner in which the jury had not convicted Miss Morrison, and some of the women bold- ly stated that if Jessie " Morrison was turned loose upon the streets of the town | | they would leave the town for fear of | their Hves. Last night some one stoned the office of the Eldorado Times because it printed | an editorial under the heading of “Hide Your Razors,” and roundly roasted Miss Morrison and the jury. Two factions have sprung up in Eldo- rado among the women and many friends have parted company over the case. Both parties have vowed they would have re- venge. On account of the cost the county officers have hinted they will not retry Miss Morrisofi, and this has served to fan the trouble between the factions. NAVY-YARD BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE | Important Pupex;; ‘Plans and Models of Construction Department Are Burned. NORFOLK, Va., Dec. 16.—The building | occuptea by the construction department | at the Norfolk Navy Yard was destroyed by fire to-night. It contained all the im- portant papers, models and plans of the construction department. Over 7000 draw- ings and $100,000 worth of live oak timber were destroyed. Total loss over $200,000. Origin of the fire unknown. Strike Is Imminent. BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 16.—Employes of the PBoston and Seven Devils Mining Com- pany, ownérs of the Peacock and other | | mines, have quit work because the com- | pany will not supply them with rubber boots and slickers. While not yet assum- ing the proportions of a strike it is feared the dissatisfaction will spread and there will be a general strike. In the Seven Devils numbers of men who were mixed up in the Coeur d’'Alene troubles are satd to be working. Q4444444444444 044440 SHOOTS DAUGHTER, 3 WHO STOLE GOLD } FROM HIS MINE + Attired as a Mana Girl Stealsto Get Elope~ ment Money. BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 16.—James Sheehan shot and seriously wound- ed his own daughter at a mining claim in the Porcupine district. His sluice boxes had been robbed of gold dust several times. He kept watch and shot the thief. It proved to be his daughter dressed in man's clothes. She made a statement that she had stolen the gold dust to se- cure funds with which to elope with a young man to whom she was strongly attached. A week before Sheehan had driven him from the place at the point of a gun, threat. ening 'hhn'vlth llch px > <3 turned. - “04###60#*+0¢ R RS aahansstfannnd H § ++++4¢+++Nmt§u+ .00++#§#*044¢040400§ R e e g This Paper not to be taken from the Library.++++ PRICE FIVE OENTS, BOERS CAPTURE MORE BRITISH TROOPS AT ZASTRON | One Hundred and Twenty Members of Brabant’s Horse Are Made Prisoners During a Battle Near That Town. Lord Kitchener Reports That Five Officers and 316 Men Taken on the Magaliesberg River Have Been Released | | DELAREY. i S. — NOOIT GEDACHT, THE SCENE OF GENERAL CLEMENTS' DEFEAT BY A FORCE OF BOERS LED BY GENERAL THIS DISASTER TO THE BRITISH RESULTED IN NEARLY 600 OF THEIR TROOPS BEING CAP- TURED BY THE ATTACKING REPUBLI | LONDON, Dee. 16.—A speclal from | Allwal North says: A party of Brabant's Horse, consisting mainly of raw recruits, engaged a superior force of Boers Decem- ber 13 near Zastron, Orange River colony, losing four killed, sixteen wounded and 120 taken prisoners. The following dispatch has been re- ceived by the War Departmént from Lord Kitchener: “PRETORIA, De¢. 15.—Five officers and 316 men, Magaliesberg prisonérs, have been released. “The Boers surrounded and captured 120 of Brabant's Horse in a defile in Zastron district. “Colonel Bomfield, moving or Vryheid, defeated the Boers with heavy loss, driv- ing them from Scheepers Nek and captur- ing a quantity of arms. The Scheepers | Nek movement occurred December 13. | “The Boers who attacked Vryheid De- cember 10 lost 100 killed and wounced be- fore they retired. The fighting lasted all day, the enemy drawing off at 7:30 p. m. The British loss was six killed and nine- teen wounded and thirty missing. Our casualties incjude two officers who died of thefr wounds.” Wiring from Pretoria to-day Lord | Kitchener, after announcing that the re- leased Magaliesberg prisoners had ar- rived at Rustenburg, says that the Boer force divided into two portions, one mov- ‘ing south and the other west. The Magaliesburg affair is described as follows in a dispatch to the Standard from Reitfontein: The scene of the engagement was a horseshoe shaped depression. The North- umberlands occupied the genter. General Clements’ camp was pitched 300 yards lower down at the eastern point of the horseshoe and Colonel Leggis’ camp was about 300 yards distant. General Delarey’s 1000 men, against whom General Clement had fought re- | peatea actions, were suddenly, unknown to General Clements, reinforced by 3000 | from Warm Baths, under Commandant Boyers. At daybreak Colonel Leggis® | pickets descried what seemed fo be a fresh force of British troops thirty yards distant. The strangers were challenged. They replied with a vollev revealing four hundred Boers in khaki. The firing be- came ‘heavy and the noise aroused Colonel Leggis’ troops, who arrived just in time to save the outposts from capture. A furious engagement ensued. Artillery was brought up and_it compelled the KESWICK, Dec. 16—Robert Riley, a 12-year-old Keswick boy, saved three lives last night at the risk of his own. Alone and unaided the plucky little fel- low rescued from a burning bullding Bertha, Henry and Jesse Moss, aged 8, § and 2 years, respectively. While perform- ing this act of heroism he was danger- ously burned, but his recovery iis believed to be certain. The brave lad is the hero of the hour in Keswick and he well de- serves the pralse that is being showerel for the evening to attend a theatrical performance. Before going they had seen that the four children were asleep in ped. In the room occupled by the three Moas children there was left on a table a lamp, ‘with the wick turned low. Robert Riley, ‘who {8 a brother of Mrs. Moss, slept in an adjoining room. - Shortly before 10 o'clock Robert was vy 5 Boers to retire. Colonel Leggis followed up the withdrawal, but was shot dead by a bullet through his head. General Clements and his staff soon ar- rived. The staff suffered severely, but General Clements appeared to have a charmed life. While mounted men were driving the enemy back along a slope covered thickly with dead Boers, a deaf-| ening rifle fire suddenly broke out on the plateau above. The signalers heliographed that the Northumberlands were being at- tacked. General Clements, convinced that they would easily hold their own, disposed the remainder of his forces on the flanks and rear of his two camps. At 430 a. m. a heliograph from the | western_peak announced that the Boers were about to overwhelm the fusileers. General Clements was unable to send ade- quate help but dispatched yeomanry to climb the hiliside and create a diversion. Before the yeomanry could come into ac- tion the Boers had overlapped the North- umberlands and were in possession of the entire horseshoe, flying down on the yeo- manry, entangled by the bushes and boulders. The Northumberlands made a magnifi- cent defense as long as their ammunition lasted. According to Boer accounts, | many, even when resistance was hope- | less, died fighting. General Clements, now Xeft with seven hundred men, made superhuman efforts against the bullets from the Boers pour- ing over the peaks and managed to save his guns and camp equipment. He re- tired in splendid order and at 4 p. m. started to march to Reitfontein, fjghting a rear guard action all the way and arriv- ing the next day at 4 a. m. Lord Methuen, according to another dis- patch from Lord Kitchener, dated yester- day, attacked and captured a Boer laager near Lichtenberg, December 14, securing large supplies of cattle and sheep and a considerable quantity of ammunition. A further dispatch from Lord Kitchen- er, dated Pretoria, December 16, says that Lord Methuen has officially confirmed the report of the death of General Lemner, the Boer commander. —_——— KI{CHENER ASKS FOR TROOPS. Desires Government to Send Out Every Available Mounted Man. LONDON,, Dec. 17.—Lord Salisbury and his colleagues must to-day feel greatly relleved that Parliament was prorogued Saturday. A grim 1rony now attaches to S DI e e TWELVE-YEAR-OLD BOY SAVB THREE CHILDREN FROM DEATH IN FLAMES lpeeulmmtchhmfi.ll. that the house was on fire and his first thought Was for the safety of the little | ones. All were yet sound asleep, though the wall and the floor near which the lamp had stood were ablaze. Young Riley | picked up Henry, the first child he came to, and carried him out of doors. Henry ran for the hills as thourh pursued by ghosts. The little rescuer made a second dash into the flaming rcom and brought out Bertha, aged 8. She caused much trouble, even after she was safe in the open air. She insisted on going back to save some things In the house and Rob- ert lost valuable time making her agres to stay where she was. During this time Jesse Moss, the - year-old baby boy, lay In his bed obliv- lous of his danger. Between the babe and the door there was now a wall of fire, but nothing daunted Riley threw some old clothing over his head and made th> third rush into the bedroom. The cloth- ing about little Jesse was afire. Robert rolled the bedding about the baby and > Lord Roberts’ description of the war as “over.” Yesterday the War Office, for the first time in many months, remained open throughout a Sunday In response to the demand of public anxiety to learn the latest news. Lord Kitchener is reported to have sent a fresh and urgent request to the Govern- ment to send out every avallable mountad man. With General Dewst again es- caped through the British cordon in the neighborhood of Thaba N'Chu, the serious affairs of Vreyheid and Zastron and the Magaliesburg disaster confromting the British people, they will begin to ask why Lord Roberts is allowed to come home. The Colonial Office announces its dects- fon to enlist 5000 men Instead of the 1090 previously asked to be recruited in Great Britain for General Baden-Powell's con- stabulary, which shows that recruiting in South Africa is less active than had been anticipated. Dispatches from Lou- renzo Marquez assert that all the Boer forces are plentifully supplied with am- munition but terribly in want of food and clothing. SATISFACTION OF ERUGHER. Declares South African News an Bx- cellent Augury for the Boers. THE HAGUE, Dec. 16—The dinner given by Queen Wilhelmina at the palace last evening was private. Mr. Kruger sat next to her Majesty, opposite the Queen’s mother and Dr. Leyds. Other- wise only the ladies and gentlemen in waiting were present. Afterward Mr. Kruger and Dr. Leyds conversed for half an hour with the Queen In the drawing- room, mainly on the asricultural and ethnological conditions of South Africa. ‘When Mr. Kruger was apprised of the contents of General Kitchener's latest dispatch, chronicling such a great disas- ter to the British, he expressed great sat- isfaction, and sald that he thought that the fact that the news coincided with the anniversary of the battle of Colenso was an excellent augury for the Boers. EKRUGER IS UNDECIDED. Cannot Say Whether or Not He Will Visit America. THE HAGUE, Dec. 15.—In reply to & dispatch from Grand Rapids, Mich., in- viting him to the United States, Mr. Kru- ger has wired that he has not arrived at any decision with regard to visiting Am- erica. B - ] Risks His Life in a Blazing Dwelling and Is Dangerously Burned While Rescuing lis Sleeping Inmates. succeeded In carrying his flery bundle to the outer air. Both children were badly burned. Rob- ert’s head, hands and legs were scorched, but he will recover. Not so much can be said for the baby, whose burns may prove fatal Robert had saved the three chilidren be- fore the neighbors discovered the fire. When there was no need of assistance plenty of it came. Mr. and Mrs. Moss ar- rived before their home was entirely gone. They account for the fire as hav- ing been due to the explosion of the lamp left burning in the children’s room, or possibly it may have been upset by a cat jumping in through the window. At the theater last night a $50 collection was taken up for Mr. Moss and the money ‘was later handed to him. “Give it all to the bov that saved my children,” he satd. Another paper was passed about fown late at night and $50 additional was raised for the boy. .