The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 22, 1901, Page 1

. - This P to be take nf Y | the Library.++++ B ey VOLUME XC—NO. 144. SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1901. PRICE FIVE CENTS. ABSCONDERS NAME THEIR DWN TERMS Return Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars’ of Securities. Fugitive Bank Teller and Bookkeeper, However, Re- tain a Fortune. Directers of the Looted Institution Show No Disposition to Arrest or Prosecute the Thiev- ing Employes. —The financial caused sus- great bookkeeper, re smoothed about state this have had as lost understood, , the we ng the past two by the bool and the cash uded Smith heir bargain to return ties which have been bonds, notes and and bunches of ave been taken or to the time v night. hount to $500,000. Smith Goes to Montreal. t ment centers in the arrest was d to the probable o It is gen- were in Béston t they are now was ed at after the conference at rs John C. Burke of Bartlett of Bos- What the ar- ik got the re- e bank’ ion to Prosecute. if his clients sald: ich would indic; sted.” een be- ry case Thi offi the men Smith wa book- e money ve stated t TO OVERTHROW THE JAPANESE CABINET Marquis Ito’s Party Said to Have Instigated a Gigantic Po- litical Sensation. strong " Import- re anticipated. -““This is ve OVEMENT Marquis move- the Cabi B T g =aid T: zuki, form- er Vice M o reign Affairs of s of Marquis 1 to-day, when sis Ito’s party has nt to overthrow can say authori- hat such a sanction of the he has no desire of the present ment has n the uis himself witness the downf. When were practica I do mot believ peaceful, the movement will rmidable one. We ard prove to be have had no inform: such a thing was imminent.” ver; LEADERS OF THE BOERS ARE SENT INTO EXILE Fermer Residents of the Transvaal Discredit Rumor of General Dewet’s Death. FRETORIA, Oct. 21.—Twelve more Boer leaders, including Commandant Scheep- ers, whose capture was announced Octo- | ber 12 ve been permanently banished | from h Africa. 2 HAGUE, Oct. 2L.—The former resi- | of the Transvaal who are now in city entirely discredit the rumors of | of General Natal. Land Lottery Winner Is Dead. , O. T., Oct. 2L—James R. drew the capital prize in the nd district at the El Reno lot- August and settled a claim val- $50,000, s dead of typhoid r a brief fliness. Dewet emanating LAWTON Woods wi Immense Insurance Policy. ULUTH, Minn.,, Oct. 21.—The writing of an insurance policy for $20,000,000, cov- erirg all the property of the Northern Pacific Railroad subject to fire, has been secured by a& local agent. v f the Merchants’ | I ys, conse- £t e of teller, and Swift | the | Swift to re- | m Yoko- | we left Japan political | ation to believe that | AN U E DA e ST AR P e d S e G Sessions of the First Day Develop a Unique Episode Seekers for Ores Have Busy Time in Various Ways Miners' Association, now in ses- sion in this city, raised $2500 yes- terday through a committee to pay James O'Brien, that the op- | tion he gave to the United States for ds needed for a settling basin in con- nection with Yuba River dam might not lapse. There was other business. before the convention, but this was the matter of emergency and it was promptly and Indeed, before the con- vigorously met. vention had been properly organized, be- | committee on credentials had | chance to report, O'Brien'’s recetv: attention. O'Brien was in Golden Hall, where the deliberations of the con- vention were in progress. President Voor- heis was in the chair, sitting under an srch which was decorfited in the center with festooned erican flags, at the | ends with cr heroic figures of athletic young miners of ornia. The handsome banner of the fore the d right hand. President Voorheis had successively in- troduced Governor Gage and Mayor Phe- |1an and they had welcomed the miners from the many counties of the State in | well turned phrases that were pleasing ging. The committee on cre- been named by the chair and ngs of the first day were run- and encoura dentials ha | the procee | ning along in a routine way. point Lafe Pence, who w. Ralston at the left | arose and made a statement that for the time dwarfed the interest in all other top- | ics before the convention. Mr. Pence said that he had been in communication with the members of the California Debris Commission, consisting the United States engincers in San for two days. He had, just of . the convention, | ot Francisco, before the opening | signed by Mr. O'Brien, and he had dis- covered that the instrument was dated | October 22, 1900, and that it provided that | a payment of $2500 must be made in one | year from the date mentioned. There was in the contract the customary clause that made time an essential part of the consideration. Therefore the money must | be paid to O'Brien at once or the option, that is of so much importance in the work | that will run up into hundreds of thou- | sands of dollars of cost, would lapse. This statement at once chained the at- tention of the convention. ‘“The way to | attend to a thing,” continued Pence, “is | to act quickly.” 5 The members acted with promptness tifying the emblems of vigor typified | by the picks, shovels and other adorn- meuts of the hall. Pence suggested the tment of committee to get the needed. a | O’Brien Makes Statement. Secretary Benjamin also had a surprise in store for the convention. He had re- ceived a letter from O'Brien, and this he read. It was dated at Smartsville, Octo- | ber 9, 1901, and set forth that O’'Brien was as anxious as he ever had been that the dam should be bullt, but he also described his grounds for raising an objection to the conditions that he thought were detri- mental to, him, as follows: Any lands which T own or are owned by any companies that I represent can be used by the TUnited States Government for the purpose of bullding barriers free of charge. No rights will fornia Miners’ Association was at his | Just at this| tting beside | HE convention of the California T Gate | ‘ks and shovels and | body of the hall, | | amount. read the contract or option that had been | 1 DAM O’Brien Declines to Extend the Time for Taking Land Convention Raises Money Necessary to Force the Issue MINERS MAKE ENERGETIC MOVE TO SECURE YUBA OPTION i | be granted that can be conveyed to any one else. The settling basin spoken of is quite a distance from their lower barrler and I am not prepared to give them the right to bank taflings upon that land twenty feet high, as Colonel Heuer claims he would do, thus raising the plane of the river and endangering all the 1and I own south of the seepase. There would be no objection to a reasonabie In short, I am as anxious those dams should be bullt as I ever was and will put no fmpediment in their way as long as my rights and the rights of my people are not jeopar- dized. ‘When the letter had been read the dele- gates to the convention were of the opin- ion that they would like to hear what Mr. O'Brien would say to questions to be asked to define his exact position. The secretary told them that O'Brien was in the hall. In response to a request by President Voorheis O'Brien went to the stage and spoke. He supplemented his letter that had just been read. He said that. when he agreed to give an option on the land he understood that it was to be used for a settling basin, but when he was told by Colonel Heuer that the tailings would bank up twenty feet he was opposed. He also said that he had never agreed to convey the land, but had merely offered to give an easement to the United States. Colonel Heuer told him that what the Government wanted was an absolute deed. He did not wish to be shut out two miles from the river and he had withdrawn the option for the reasons that he had stated. The delegates listened attentively and respectfully to O'Brien’s statement of his side of the case and then Pence asked: “Would you be willing to extend the option three days?” “No,” answered O’Brien, decldedly, *not as it stands, but T would if certain reser- vations were put in."” Convention Moves Quickly. The convention had already voted to PRESIDENT VOORHEIS OF THE CALIFORNIA MINERS ASSOCIATION DELIVERING HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS AND SOME OF THE PROMINENT MEN WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE UPON THE CONVENTION WHICH IS BEING HELD IN GOLDEN GATE HALL. | — - = - — | take a recess to 2 o'clock, but this answer | of O'Brien’s and the belief that the option might lapse before the convention could act unless something was done at once put the delegates in favor of meeting again at 1 o'clock and of.appointing a committee to try to raise the $2500 needed to tie O'Brien’s option up securely, There was some discussion concerning parlia- mentary procedure at this point, but the convention adhered to its plan of having the necessary committee named at once and President Voorhels appointed W. C. Ralston, Lafe Pence and A. Caminettl as the members of the committee. The great importance of the Yuba River works, for which the State has appro- priated $400,000 and the national Govern- ment $250,000, with the prospect of an ad- ditional appropriation of $150,000, was so apparent that when the convention met in the afternoon the announcement that was made by President Voorheis that the com- mittee had already secured the needed coin during the recess was answered by applause from all parts of the house. Soon after that the committee’s report was received, which is as follows: For Benefit of Miners. To the President and Members of the Cali- fornia Miners' Association, Gentlemen: Your committee begs leaye to report that in the lim- ited time assigned it was Impossible to visit many merchants and citizens who would have donated to this fund had they had the oppor- tunity. The following named firms and citizens contributed the amount set opposite thelr re- spective names: North Bloomfield Mining Company, $500; Cal- ifornia Powder Works, $500; Bureka Lake Min- ing and Water Company, $20; Joshua Hendy Machine Works, §100; Calaveras M. W. and P. Company, $100; Miller, Sloss & Scott, $200; Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Company, $200; Baker & Hamilton, $200; Harron, Rickard & McCone, $100; Henshaw, Bulkeley & Co., $100; John Roebling Sons Company, $100; Mining and Scientific Press, $100; W. W. Montague & Co., §100; A. Caminettl, $100; Willlam Nichols Jr., §100; F. R. Wehe, $100; J. M. Gleaves, $100; W. | C. Ralston, $100; Colonel George Stone, $100. To- tal, $3150. W. C. RALSTON, LAFE PENCE, A. CAMINETTL Seeking for O’Brien. On motion of Judge Belcher of San Francisco the committee received the thanks of the convention and was in- structed to pursue the matter further. It Wwas necessary to visit the California De- bris Commission, and this the committee did at once. There the date of the expira- tion of the O'Brien lease was discussed. The committee was authorized to find O’Brien and to offer him the $2500, and the committeemen went out on that mis- sion immediately after the adjournment | of the conference in Colonel Heuer's of- fice. A report will be made to the con- vention to-day as-to the success of that part of the work of the committee. There were (wo sessions only of the | ation: convention yesterday. In the usual course of things committees on credentials and resolutions were appointed. The former committee reported that there were 573 delegates who were entitled to seats on the floor as representing county assoeia- | tions and commercial bodies, and lheseiand i Biedting tadiy e’ (s il i ‘were apportioned as follows: Nevada County, 67; San Francisco, 70; Shas:. ta, 90; Amador, 43; Calaveras, #4; Placer, Sterra, 24; Alameda, 21; El Dorado, Butte, 20; Yuba, 14; Tuolumne, 5; Plumas, 5; Santa Clara, 5; Kern, 5; San Bernardino, 5; Fresno, 5; Solano, 5: San Luis Obispo, Marin, 5; Siskiyou, 5; Mariposa, 5; Inyo, 5; Santa Bar- bara, 1; Southern Callfornia Branch Associa- tion, 7: Southwest Mines, 5; California Petro- leum Miners' Assoclation, 10; San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, 5; California State Board of Trade, 5; Sacramento Chamber of | rayines and channels which feed navigable Commerce, 5; Fresno Chamber of Commerce, 5; Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, 5: Call- fornia State Mining Bureau, 5; Callfornia De- bris Commission, 3; Trinity, 3. The committees were made up as fol- { the adjacent lands. | appropriated a like sum “for the construction H. McClintock, Tuolumne County; C. H. Weatherwax, El Dorado Count: S. J. Hendy, San Francisco; W. F. Engle- bright, Nevada County; A. G. Meyers, Siski- | you County; Willlam Nicholls, Placer Count: A. H. Ward, Maripesa County; J. M. Gleaves, California Petroleum Miners' Assoclation; A. Ekman, Butte County; J. F. Parks, Amador County; A. R. Briggs, Fresno County; W. C. Ralston, Calaveras County; Joseph Durfee, | Yuba County; A. W. Bishop, Alameda Count; E. Dittman, Shasta County; Frank R. Sierra County; L. E. Aubrey, Southwest | Association; A. G. Lightner, Kern y, and H. J. Osborne, Southern Califor- | Resolutions—W. C. Ralston, chairman; W. F. | Englebright, Nevada: E. Belcher, San Fran- cisco; J. H. Tibbi asta;* W. A. Pritchard, Amador; Jacob H. Neff, Placer; Frank R. | Wehe, Sierra; A. W. Bishop, Alameda; H. E. | Dorado; A. Ekman, Butte; Joseph cba; W. H. McClintock, Tuolumne; or, Plumas; Thomas Derby, Santa | T. Lightner, Kern; Frank Monaghan, | San Bernardino; A. R. Briggs, Fresno: A. C. | tor H. Woods, San Luis Obis- po; John F. Boyd, Marin; A. I Myers, Siski H. Ward, Mariposa; J. J. Gunn, Iny Harrington, Santa Barbara; L. E. Au- Southern California; H. Z. Osborne, Southwest Miners' Association; J. M. Gleaves, California Petroleyn Miners' Association; R. | H. Herron, Los Angeles Chamber merce; J. F. C. Hinkson Thomas Rickard I B bury, of Com- | rks, State Mining Bureau; - mento Chamber of Commerce; | San Francisco Chamber of | Comme; aigie State Board of Trade; John McMurray, Trinity; Willlam Thomas, Cal- ifornia Water and Forest Association; Colonel | Heuer, California Debris Commission; J. §. Me- | Bride, Nevada; James Irving, Los Angeles | Chamber of Commerce. | Adam I. Moore and Frank Yale were | elected sergeants-at-arms. | The speechmaking of the day brought | out many statements that were pleasing | to the miners. The address of principal | importance to the delegates was that | made by President Voorheis, which was | somewhat in the nature of a report and | contained recommendations for the good | of the association. He suggested the ap- | pointment of a committee to revise the | by-laws of the association, so that every member who contributes annual dues to carry on the work shall be entitled to take part in the association’s annual con- ventions in this city. The President’s Address. President Voorhels said: Gentlemen of the Californla Minery’ Associ- Ten years ago a number of hydraulic miners met in the city of Auburm, Placer County, to see if some means could not be devised whereby bydraulic mining might be resumed without material injury to the farm- ing lands and navigable rivers of the State. The outgrowth of that meeting was the organi- zation of the *«California Miners’ Assoclation, convocation. It is estimated that more than $300,000,006 in gold is locked up in the gravel hills ,of Placer, Nevada and Sierra counties which could be liberated and put into circulation if some means could be devised to prevent injury to The first steps taken to aid the miners was by the State Legislature in making an appro- priation of $250,000, and the national Congress of barriers to restrain the debris already in the rivers, and also to permit the resumption of hydraulic mining under certaln restrictions. The Federal engineers comprising the Cali- lows: | pleting the se | ported by a brick wall. BOLD RAID ON GHIGAGD PATOFFIGE Burglars Tunnel Undera Vault and Secure a Fortune. Stamps Valued at $74,610 Are Secured and Safely Carted Away. Robbers Crawl Under the Building for Three Hundred. Feet and Cut Their Way Through Brick Walls. ity CHICAGO, Oct. 2L.—A sensational rob- bery, which netted the perpetrators $§74,610 in stamps, was discovered here this morn- ing when the wholesale stamp department of the postoffice was opened for business. A rapid investigation developed the fact that the burglars had crawled under the flooring for about 300 feet, bored a hole in the bottom of the the vault, secured | stamps and escaped, carrying their booty in a wagon. The work of forcing an entrance to the vault had evidently been going forward | with the greatest patience for many days. It is believed, however, that the inten- tion of the thieves had been to enter the cashier’s vault, in which there was $35,000 In money ‘and stamps valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The bottom of the vault is of steel, half an inch thick. In this ninety-seven holes were bored until a space eighteen inches square—just enough to allow the entrance of a man’s body—had been so weakened that it was possible to take out the whole plate without difficulty. A dry goods box stood over the hole thus made and con- cealed the work of the robbers while it was in progress. When discovered to-day the finger marks of one of the burglars were still discernible on the dust of ,the box. which he had pushed to one side. Raid Is Carefully Planned. So carefully had the job been planned that men working in other parts of the building had not the slightest inkling of the daring robbery being worked almost under their noses. The robbers drove wp to the southeast corner of the postoffice in a wagon, the tracks of which could be plainly seen to-day. The building is a temporary af- fair and the men had only to open a little door to admit themselves under the flooring. Te reach the vault it was neces- sary to crawl about 300 feet over odds and ends of boards which littered the way. The route evidently had been carefully studied, for a detective who went under to-day without knowledge of locations be- came lost and was nearly overcome by the foul odors before assistance reached him. Having secured their plunder the rob- bers loaded it into the wagon, drove aeross a vacant lot and turned into Wa= | bash avenue in front of the Art building. Of the $74,610 in stamps taken $4712 in “postage due” stamps and 32600 in spe- clal delivery stamps. So the convertible stamps amounted to 367 but of these $4828 were Pan-American stamps of 8 and 10 cent denominati Discovers the Robbery. F. Spaulding, chief clerk of the p department, discovered spened the vault at had been locked secure at 5 p. m. d Postoffice arried from his an an investigation, were C. wholesale the robbery when he 7:50 o'clock. The with contents apps Saturday. Spauld Inspector Stuart home and at once be: assisted by his deputies and a squad of detectives from the City Hall. After com- rch the inspector said: tamp robbery ever st ng who est “It was the 1 done in the history of the postal service in this country. To get to-the yault th men entered through a trap door. A few fect in they encountered a brick wall, which they dug through rather than prowl around looking for a clearer route. The wall, like others under the building, is of filmsy construction and it could not have taken them lomg to pick their way through it. A hundred feet or so farther on they ran against another wall and this they also dug through. On the way they also encountered a number of pipes, and as the floors are but two feet and in some places three feet above the ground, they tunneled under the pipes. Their whole course is plainly marked in this way. The wholesale stamp vault, like the cashier's vault and the money order vault, is sup- It forms a square, and before the robbery was airtight. Burglars Make Air Holes. “In this the robbers broke two holes, possibly to secure more air, for the place undoubtedly was very foul, or to have an extra place of egress in case of discovery. For light they used dry batteries, one of which they left behind. This battery one of my men discovered. It and the wagon tracks are the only clews we have at pres- ent. “The space under the enough to allow a man to and their work must have been compara- tively easy with the drills and steel saws which they used. The stamps were ar- ranged in twenty-pound bundles, and the weight of the load they carried off must have been 500 pounds. Evidently one man handed the packages down to others walit- ing below. As their progress must have been slow carrying bundle through all those tunnels, crawling on all fours, I judge they worked for hours get- ting their booty to the wagon. “Evidently they felt perfectly secure, though somewhat disappointed at missing the cashier’s vault, where there was $35,- 000 in cash and a great quantity of stamps. I cannot tell now how many men worked at the job. Every effort will of course be made to recover the property vault is large stand upright, even one Continued on Page Seven. and capture the men who took it.”