The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 19, 1902, Page 1

SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1902. PRICE FIVE CENTS. DISAPPEARANCE OF HAL SMITH IS ATTRIBUTED TO FOUL PLAY NEW CABINET FOR SPAIN KWANGSI REBELS DEFEAT TROOPS UNDER GENERAL MA Imperial Forces Attack Insurgent Strongholds, but Are Com- pelled to Retreat After Two Days’ Fighting. ONGKONG, March 18.—Gen- ral Ma has been defeated the Kwangsi rebels, who taken possession of cheng. They have killed the manda- ted the town. General acked the rebel strongholds, but eagagement lasting two days The rebels then quarters at ured all ading rapidly Kwangsi, Kwang- Pai re from Tien d be 1ded there owing ¢o fear hou, and Gen- tn in Kwang- of . these com- reinforcements. heir forces, but the 1e intervening nction of the Tung anders province) are g wrevent Governmen Many of the imperial soldiers are join- owing to the superior pay roops ing the rebels offered them and the opportunity for looting. The rebel leader is Hung Ming, a rela- tive of the celebrated Hung Sou Chuen, leader of the Tai Hung. rebellion i ANGLO-AMERICAN DIPLOMACY British Blue Book Says It Triumphed in China. LONDON, March 18.—Coincident the news of alarming rebellions in three provinces Chine, the Foreign Office e to-day issuel a voluminous blue book dealing with the protracted negotiations between China and the powers from March 2%, 1901, to September 7. 1901, when protocol was signed. In its 75 pages of diplomatic dispatches, edicts and digests China's financial capabilities there is ample evidence that the nego- tiations formed one of the most intricate with of he webs of international differences in the histc re world. ~One striking quo- tatior arly apt to, the presemt Far 1 situation can be extracted from h of the British Embassador at St. Petersburg, Sir Charles 8. Scott, to | Lord Lansdowne, the British Foreign Sez- retary, hich Count Lamsdorff, the Russian Foreign Minister, is quoted as saying be was pleased at the fact that the British Government was desirous of hastening & return to normal conditions in China, but he dreaded the possibility of in Kwangchou, says-all | Fang- ; | \ { | appear from b | 3 | | TWO NOTED LEADERS OF THE CHINESE IMPERIAL TROOPS WHO ARE STRIVING TO PUT DOWN THE INSURRECTION RECENTLY STARTED BY FORMER SOLDIERS IN THEIR ARMY. - - fresh outbursts of anti-foreign fanati- cism. WORK HAND IN HAND. Throughout the extended negotiations on the subject of the amount, division and method of payment of the Chinese indem- nity Great Britain and the United States the blue book to have worked hand in hand, though opposed by all the other powers. After learning of the adverse attitude of the continental | powers toward the American proposition 1 to reduce the indemnity to £40,000,020, Lord Lansdowne instructed Sir Ernest Satow, the British Minister at Peking, that the figures erred on the side of lib- erality, though he was quite ready to agree to a more moderate reduction. Russia and the other powers strenuous- 1y held out for a joint international guar- antee of the Chinese loan. This appears to have formed the rock on which the powers almost split. Lord Lansdowne re- fused to hear of a guarantee, and Sir Er- nest Satow cabled as follows: “The United States is firmly opposed to any international guarantee. Mr. Rock- hill, the United States Special Commis- sioner, states that the President is most anxious to bring about a reduction in the indemnity. Personally Mr. Rockhiil is disposed to abandon the limitation of £40,000,000 if the powers would agree on a declaration in favor of reducing the amount.” In this, as in most of the other car- dinal points, Anglo-American diplomacy triumphed, though the American proposal to submit the indemnity question to The Hague court of arbitration met with a refusal on all sides, including Great Brit- ain. Gerald Lowther, the secretary of the British Embassy at Washington, sent an interesting dispatch to Lord Lansdowne June 10, 101, saying that Hill, Assistant Secretary of State, had told him that the Russian and French Embassadors were strongly and repeatedly urging the United States not to oppose an increase in the maritime customs of China, and that they were also using every effort to induce the United States to agree to a joint guarantee loan. Hill, according to Lowther, said the United States would not agree to a general increase of the maritime customs, though it might agree to an increase in the duties on certain articles, and he told the Embassadors of France and Russla that Congress would never consent to assume the financial liberty of guaranteeing a loan, The blue book contains only one impor- tant reference to Manchuria. The Brit- ish Embassador at St. Petersburg, writ- ing to Lord Lansdowne, quotes Count Lamsdorff, April 12, 1901, as saying that the Czar adhered unswervingly to his {n- tention, so frankly and frequently de- clared, to withdraw the Russian troops and restore Manchuria to its former Chi- nese administration as soon as the nor- mal, state of affairs and the reinstate- ment at Peking of a legitimate, indepen- dent central Government capable of maintaining order in‘the empire permit- ted the Russlan evacuation, The British Minister at Peking on July 2, 1901, summed up a long serles of im- perial decrees _promulgnted for the pur- pose of reforming abuses by saying: “They may be regarded as the first step in the right direction, but the decrees themselves will not do much to remedy Continued on Page Two. ! street, a house kent by Mrs. Kate Mackey. He emerged a moment later with a bunch' of violets, which he pre- | | sented to Mrs. Mackey with the remark | ing in question. PALACE EMPLOYE MISSING Friend Named Gar- ratt Also Drops From Sight. ? Latter’s Actions Sa- " vor Very Much of Mystery. Police Sleuths Prob- ing Into Strange Affair. FIE disappéarance of Hal Smith, the genial assistant storekeeper of the Palace Ho- tel, on Friday afternoon, the 7th inst., {s devel- oping into a deep mystery | which i puzzling the police, and which may vet find its denoue- ment in murder. The theory of Smith's friends is that he has been foully dealt with, and in support of this contention certain facts have developed which en- shroud the affair in the deepest mystery. Circumstances strangely connect an old friend of Smith named C. A. Garratt, a waiter formerly of Cloverdale, but until | three weeks ago employed at the Hayes Valley restaurant, 474 Hayes street, with the disappearance of the missing man. | Garratt told several people that he was working at the Palace grill and to others he said he was employed at the Hotel Pleasanton. Inquiries ‘made at thess places last night developed the fact that Garratt's statements were false. Another peculiar. circumstance is the fact of Garratt's' departure from the ety last Wednesday, presumably for Mon- tana, but in fact for Nevada. The first | publication of the facts in connection with Smith’s disappearance. wis made on the morning of that day. #Whit bearing these facts may have on the case the future may determine. 'SMITH DISAPPEARS. The story of Smith's disappearance is a strange one. On February 6 he received his salary of $45 for the month of Janu- ary, and one of his first acts after draw- ing his pay was to issue a money order in favor of F. A. Hardy & Co. of Chicago for'$15. He did not mail this order to the payee, but placed it in a small memoran- dum book, in which it was subsequently found. On the following day, which was Friday, he left the Palace Hotel about 2 p. m. and went to his room at 87 Bush that a storm was threatening. He dis. cussed the probabilities of rain with her, and then remarked that he had two seats for the Columbia for the following Tues- day evening and that if a certain young | woman acquaintance desired to have | them he would gladly give them up, as he | intended going to Fischer's on the even- He then went into his | room, and in a few minutes tlereafter | Mrs, Mackey heard his door slam. This | was about 2:30 p. m. When Mrs. Mackey | went into the room ten minutes later she | found that Smith had laid his overcoat | upon the bed, together with his kid gloves and that his spectacles lay on the table. That was the last seen or heard of the missing man by his friends here. PECULIAR FACTS. Bverything in Smith's room was so arranged as to inspire one with the belief that he left it on .a temporary mission. He never went any distance without tak- ing his glasses with him, nor did he ever venture on a long walk, such as a jour- ney to the park, without taking his over- coat. His books, which engrossed his exclusive attention when off duty, were lying face down, showing that he was reading at the time the impulse to gof| abroad sefzed him. During the evening Mrs. Mackey received a telephone mes- sage from the Palace, asking for infor- mation toncerning Smith, and the fact then developed that he announced before leaving the hotel that he intended visit- ing the park with a friend. Who this friend was no one is able to say, but the general impression prevails that it was Garratt. % Garratt's strange conduct manifests it- self at this stage of the affair. On Mon- day of last week he called upon Mrs. Mackey and inquired as to Smith’s where- abouts. He informed her that he was employed at the Hotel Pleasanton and that Smith was his warmest friend. He said he last saw Smith on the evening of the previous Tuesday, and that he had lent him a dollar. This sum Smith repaid by means of a money order addressed to Garratt at his old address, 474 Hayes street. Garratt had in the meantime re- moved to 1065 Market street, where Smith’s money order was delivered to him on Monday. Finding that Mrs. Mackey knew nothing concerning Smith's dtsappearance he left with the assurance that he would find Smith, and as soon as he dld so he would acquaint Mrs. Mackey of the circumstance. ‘GARRATT’S QUEER ACTS. On the day prior to the disippearance of Smith Garratt rented room § at 1065 Market street, a lodging-house kept by Mrs. Charles Gillet. According to the statement of Mrs. Gillet he —+ IS SELECTED BY SAGASTA Veteran Statesman Remains Premier of the Disturbed Kingdom, While Weyler Retains the War Portfolio. { SRS ADRID, March 18.—The com- position of the new Cabi- net was announced to-day as follows: Premier—Senor Sagasta. Minister of Foreign = Af- fairs—Duke of Almodovar. ® S strangely on his arrival. He appeared anxious that.the lock on his door should be just right, and said he had been chloroformed and robbed some .time be- fore and that he did not wish to have the experiment repeated. He declined to state the nature of his business, but said he was employed at the Hotel Pleasanton. Mrs. Gillet saw little of him. He stayed out all night on one occasion and on an- other he left his room at 5 o’'clock in the morning. He had a_ trunk in his room, but this, accerding jto Mrs. Gillet, was never opened duri his occupancy of the chamber. “On Wednesday afternoon,” said Mrs. Gillet, “Garratt told me he intended to leave this city and go to Montana. He sald he couldn’t make any money here and that a great city was no place for a young man, anyway. He carrled 4 small box under his arm and he handled it so carefully that I asked him what he was carrying, and he answered that it was a bundle of soiled clothes. The expressman took the trunk to the ferry, but Garratt with his box boarded a car. That was the last T ever saw of him. ‘ He appeared to be a nice man. He was about five feet geven inches, smooth shaved and of rud- dy complexion. I judged that he was a waiter or followed some business of that kind.” WAITER LEAVES CITY. The expressman who took the trunk to the ferry was Joseph Latham, whoe stand is at 1057 Market street. Latham says he deposited the trunk at the bag- gage shed at the ferry and waited sev- eral minutes for Garratt. When the lat- ter arrived he displayed a ticket for Ne- acted | vada, the destination not being observed | | | | | | | - Minister of Justice—Senor Montilla. Minister of . Finance—Senor Rodrigua- nez. Minister of the Interior—Senor Moret. Minister of War—General Weyler. Minister of Marine—The Duke of Vera- gua. by the expressman. He paid Latham lib- erally and made the remark that he would bave to wait an hour and a half for the train. Latham got on board his wagon and left the scene. Garratt's statements, coupled with his sudden flight from the city, are difficult of explanation in view of the disappear- ance of Smith. Why Smith should take the trouble of sending him a money order for §1. when ‘according to Garratt's pre- vious statement he was to meet Smith pn Thursday or Friday is a circumstance that will tax the credulity of many. ‘Another strange circumstance is the fact that Smith kept all the receipts of money orders issued by him and while the one for §15 mentioned was found in his wal- let, together with many others, there is none showirg that he issued a money order in favor of Garratt in any amount. The applications for money orders on file at Station K show that such an order was Issued, but the handwriting thereon is not like that of Smith, it. being bolder in outline than the chirography of the miss- ing man. NOT AT THE PALACE. Garratt worked for eight months with the Kendricks, who kept the Hayes Val- ley restaurant until the latter vart of last month, when it changed hands. Gar- ratt collected $25 that was due him as wages and went downtown in search o employment. A few days later he ported to Mrs. Kendrick that Smith had secured him a position as waiter at the Palace grill and that he liked his placs very well. He explained his duties minutely and told many anecdotes of ‘his experiences in his new field of labor: All this was false, for Garratt never worked R FOUR PROMINENT PORTFOLIO HOLDERS IN NEW Minister of Public Romanones. Minister of Agriculture—Senor lejas. The new Ministers are Senors Montilla, Rodriguanez and Canalejas. PARIS, March 13.—The reported resigna~ tion of the Waldeck-Rousseau Cabinet, mentioned to-day in the Nationalist ore gan, I'Eclair, is so devold of probability that it is not even reproduced or dis- cussed here Instruction—Coumg Cana~ Slaughter of Slave-Dealers. MOZAMBIQUE. Portgucse East Af- rica, March 13.—The Portuguese troops captured 162 slave-dealers and killed fifty others at Pemba recently, when the Gov- ernment forces attacked twelve strong- holds of the slave-dealers and liberated 09 slaves. at the place mentioned, nor was a man | answering his description employed there in the early part of the current month. What his purpose could have been in de- celving his friends as to his piaces of employment cannot be fathomed, except on the theory that he had something to conceal. Smith was of studious habits. He was- a single-taxer and an ardent admirer of soclalism. About » year ago he met Mrs. Jennie Hamilton, a widow of considerable means, living at 3430 Sixteenth street, and visited her periodically. That he advised her as to certain Investments was evi- denced by the contents of a certain let- ter from Mrs. Hamilton found among his papers. There was some dispute between them, which led to an estrangement. Mrs, Hamilton said last night that Smith had called upon her several times and that | they talked about money matters. That he was paying her serious attentions was vigorously denfed. She stated that she saw Smith on the Monday previous to his disappearance and that he had promised to call on her on the following Sunday evening. When he failed to do so she in- stituted inquiries and made the discovery that he had disappeared. MRS. HAMILTON TALKS. Mrs. Hamilton states that she met Gar- ratt only once and that he did not impress her favorably. She was aware that he was a warm friend of Smithi She re- E garded Smith as a very superior man, but he had always impressed her as having at one time in his career experienced some great sorrow. Morally, as far as she Continued on Page Two.