The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 29, 1902, Page 1

VOLUME XCII—-N: SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1902. RUINOUS FLAMES ROAR THROUGH HOMES OF STOCKTON, PRICE FIVE CENTS. DESTROYING THE GREAT PAVILION AND COSTLY EXHIBITS MILLION DOLLARS AND CAUSING LOSS OF ABOUT HALF A MURDEROUS NEGRD DIES IN FLAMES Mob in Mississippi Burns Woman's Siayer. Great Crowd Gathers in Corinth to See Execution. Condemned Man Confesses and Says His Fate Is Deserved. CORINTH, Miss., Sept. 28.—Writhing in the fiames of burning fagots piled high | by b reds of citizens, Thomas Clark, eliag William Gibson, a young negro, was burned at the stake here at a late hour to-day after having confessed one of the atrocious crimes in the history of Mississippi—an attack upon and of Mrs. Carey Whitfield on Before the torch was applied that be deserved his awful the wife a well- was found dead in her t. Her head had been all but severed from her body with a ragor. Both wife were re- lated to sev of heme in Augu Whitfield and h 1 of th identity. Fin- ve citizens was e the search. e known that ving near here, his wife, and the sciose the secret of . Whit- d yesterday The negro o told of committed, f two men on Btreet CROWDS POUR INTO TOWN. y d he deserved death, but asked d until to- tarewell in- i brother, The request was relatives were tele- t was learned that they | rapidly and to- hundreds . The he town was ordered uncement was d to burn Clark afternoon. This tement and her about the the enactment of the place selected tragedsy and larger y laid about n en deep into and a half hour later it was 1 was in At he prisoner manacied, from 1 by & posse of foliowed by a large and ex- of men and boys, and led to e of the negro cemetery, sit- e western part of the city. had been piled high and the negro was se- readiness. cned to the iron rod. TORCHES ARE APPLIED Clark was asked if he cared to make a statement. He again sald that he de- the fate prepared for him and r be delivered to his He appealed to his ldren properly, ad- beware of ey a let bry to rear and 1 com- readiness and the usband an stepped forward applied the and moment the flames ipward, enveloping the trembling n smoke and fire. The clothing of in a neg the doomed man was soon ignited and as | th mes grew hotter the skin began The negro moaned piteously the agonizing look upon his face told of the awful torture he was undergoing. Finally his head fell breas in a few minutes all was over. The flames were fed by the crowd until e body was burned to a crisp. Then the the town soon as- dition. Earthquake Shocks Felt in France, PARI > earthe uake sirict of M Depariment of Sa r= En Tarauiaise, forward upon his | el ————— | i | PATILL | ] | SITREET RES2DEPE, 3 TORQULIV CEURCI 7L OF Z/3E p;%{rza 28 TIRICT v s s ‘Many Blocks| Reduced to ; Ashes. ' | TOCKTON, Sept. 28.—A ruining sea of flame swept over the very heart of San Joaquin's metropolis latc this afternoon and soon left behind it, when |its devastating course had been stayed, the ashes of six blocks of buildings, the wreck of a score of homes, a great num- | ber of injured persons, and a financlal | record of destruction that will reach near | the half-million mark. { The conflagration - was fanned by a | strong breeze from the northwest and the flames made headway with scarcely any | |irterruption till nightfall. The fire start- ec in the big Agricultural Pavilion, which | occupied nearly the entire block bounded by Washington, Lafayette, Hunter and San Joaquin streets. The immense struc- ture was filled with valuable exhibits, the | annual fair being in progress. The pavil- | fon was as kindling wood for the fire and within thirty minutes from the first alarm the house was little more than smolder- ing timbers and ashes. Then came the | perilous time for the safety of Stockton. | The flames roared and spread and flung | a million sparks across the streets to | the south and east and fastened their de- | stroying grip on the residence and busi- ness blocks. | WATCHMAN SOUNDS ALARM. | It was just about 5:20 o'clock " that | Watchman Jack Lawrence rushed from | the pavilion and turned in the alarm. Be- fore the department was In action thé | flames were playing around the lofty tower and the four wings were blazing furiously. The interior was a furnace | | and there was no possibility of entering | it. The engines went to work on the | north side and after wetting down St. | Mary's Church, directly across the street | | to the north, transferred the scene of | | action to the south side, as the wind had 1 | | | | sprung up and the fire was crossing the | street in that direction. | Hose Wagon Driver T. J. Walsh drove lin near the fire and fell from his seat, overcome by the intense heat. When a | | rescue party carried him out he was hor- ribly burned, but he may survive. The | horses, wagon and hose burned if sight of | the horrified spectators. The heat in- intensity.and soon the business | iock the e £ide of San Joadin street, facing the pavilion site, was afize lang the fames were eating their way | . {7 i i ” BUILDINGS DESTROYED AND DAMAGED IN THE TBERRIFIC CONFLAGRATION IN STOCKTON. —_— back to Sutter street. The Southern Ho- tel, which stood on the northeast corner, being of brick, escaped, but everything else went on the west side of the block, including Hollis’ photographic gallery, Curtaz & Sons’ music store, Morrell & Mitscher's wood-carving plant, the French liquor store and a number of small stores. Crossing Lafayette street the fire con- sumed the handsome residence of Mrs. Frank Cavagnaro and those #f Morrell, George Campbell, Dick Williams, Joseph Gianelli, A. Bonzi (three houses), A. J. Tripp, Jake Fisher (three houses), and about ten small cottages. arms and body. | “+ {tered the blocks between Hunter Crossing Sonora street the flames en- and Sutter streets. In the Physicians’ Hos- pital, " formerly The Wilma, a rooming- house, were a large number of helpless patients. They were carried away in drays. Adjoining the hospital were the homes of Louls Breldenbach Jr., J. H. Hoskins (two houses), Dr. Endicott and A. Brgwn, Harry Robbins, Leisy (two houses), D. L. Lawrence, Andrew McCor- mick, Mrs. Thompson, Herty Higgen- betham, David Holt, Gus Weber and tbree houses belonging to San Francisco persons. Several rows of cottages occu- pled by tenants were consumed. Some of PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS INJURED. THOMAS WALSH, hosecart driver, burned, probably fatally. HENRY CHASE, fireman, badly burned and injured by jump- ing from burning building, recovery doubtful. ROBERT EKNOWLES, fireman, seriously burned on face, FRANK P. KENDALL, fireman, left hand badly burned. ED ENOWLES, fireman, head and arms terribly burned. SYDNEY WOODBURN, citizen, burned about face and injured these named weré also renters. In the burned district among the other homes destroyed were those of A. Capur- ro, T. Ziegnego, C. Vinelli, Manuel Marin, Mrs. B. Finkbohner, four cottages belong- ing to A. Massoni, G. Brown, Mrs. P. Samuel, Will Knowles and Mrs. A. B. Richardson. During the progress of the fire the home of W. J. Hersom, the Democratic nominee for Sheriff, was burned in the southern part of the city. The Fire Department was utterly unable to cope with the fire, owing to its magnitude. The loss of the hose crippled one of the engines. Extra pressure was secured from the water — plant and the streams were used to ad- vantage, but while the fire was being subdued at one point it would break out wigh greater vigor at another. ‘The scenes {n the burning districts can never be forgotten by those who wit- nessed them. People lost, their reason, and as the flames approached they threw their furniture from the windows and made frantic efforts to carry things from danger. Every citizen became a volun- teer and many of the most promMent men here lent their aid to the terror-stricken people. Some residents hesitated to leave Continued on Page 2, Column 3, in falling from a ladder. PARKER WILSON, capitalist, burned and bruised in fighting fire. FRANK STEINBECKER, citizen, burned about face and arms and hurt in falling from roof. POLICEMAN W. H. DUTSCHKE, inhaled flames and badly in- jured. JOHN LAWRENCE, fell from a building and was badly bruised. + ROOSEVELT AGAIN UNDER THE SCALPEL President Submits to a Second Operation. Bone of Injured Leg Is Found to Be Affected. Surgeons Resort to the Knife to Accelerate the Heal- ing Process. e Special Dispatch to The Call. CALL BUREAU, 1406 G STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON, Sept. 28.—To accel- erate recovery and as a matter of neces- sary precaution ‘a second and successful operation was performed on the injuged leg of President Roosevelt this afternoon at the temporary White House in Jack- son place. This was done only after the Fresident’s physicians had called in con- sultation Dr. Newton Melman Shaffer, the noted bone specialist of New York, and when it was found that the President's progress toward recovery following the first operation was not so satisfactory as his physicians had hoped for. The President was at all times come sclous and stood the operation cheerfully and well. Cocoaine was administered to the wound to deaden the pain, and dur- ing the operation the President was con- tinually chatting and joking with the sur- geons. Immediately afterward he picked up his eyeglasses and a book, was assist- ed to the library and resumed his read- ing. Mrs. Roosevelt, who had been at church as usual in the morning, returned to the President's room shortly after noon and sat by him while the operation was performed. CONDITION SATISFACTORY. Late this evening the President's physi- cians announced that his condition was satisfactory, and, although it was too carly to say just what the result of the second operation would be, it was confl- dently believed by all who attended that more rapid progress would now be made toward complete recovery. Dr. Shaffer will remain in the city to- night, and probably through to-morrow. In any event he will not leave Washing- ton until the results of to-day’s operation have been developed and are fully known to the attending physicians. The physicians at the consultation at which to-day’s operation was decided upon were Dr. Shaffer, the noted ortho- pedic surgeon of New York and former physiclan in the Roosevelt family; Sur- geon General Rixey of the navy: Surgeon Ceneral O'Reilly of the army, and Drs. Lung, Urie and Stitt, also of the navy. As preparations for the incision were being made the President looked up to them and said: “Well, well, this makes me feel war- like.” BONE SLIGHTLY AFFECTED. The operation of to-day was not a re- sult of apprehension, but, as stated by the President’s physicians to-night, was decided upon because it was found that the President’s progress toward recovery was not entirely satisfactory and because the wound was not healing as it should. While not at all dangerous, the local symptoms were not considered saisfac- tory, and this, in addition to a rise in the Fresident's temperature, caused the at- tending physicians to decide at once to make another and deeper incision fon the purpose of cleansing and draining. The wound was reopened and the shin bone exposed. Further signs of an abscess were found and all were removed. It was also found that the bone was slightly af- fected as a result of the failure of the wound to heal with normal rapidity. After an antiseptic treatment, cleansing and completely draining the wound was closed and bound again. FEAR NO COMPLICATIONS. Surgeons Had Expected Second Ope- ration to Be Necessary. INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 28.—The Indian- apolis physicians and surgeons who parti- cipated in the operation performed on the President in St. Vincent's Hospital last Tuesday were shown the dispatch from ‘Washington announcing that another operation had been necessary and all de- clared that this was not unexpected, but was what they had feared. They united in saying that there was no Ganger in such an operation, either from blood pol= soning or in regard to the permanent ime pairment of the limb. Dr. John H. Olives, who performed the first operation, said: “The new operation is only what we all feared would be necessary and that it is the reason we advised that he be hur- ried back to Washington. The wound Is by no means dangerous, although it is of such nature as to require that he give up the use of his limb for some time. There is absolutely no danger that the limb will have to bte amputated, or from blood poi~ -+ | soning, either”