The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 15, 1902, Page 1

VOLUME XCII—-NO. 168. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, VOLCANO OF SANTA MARIA CAUSES - 1902. PRICE FIVE CENTS. GREATER DESTRUCTION THAN PELEE UATEMALA CITY, Nov. 9, via San Salvador, Panama and Galveston, Nov. 14.—Astonishing revelations of the great loss of life and property caused by the eruption of Santa Maria volecano are being made daily. Many hundreds of human beings perished and the destruction of property is considered greater than that in the island of Martinique during the eruptions of Mont Pelee. All of the estates in the neighborhood of the voleano are buried under voleanic ashes which, reach to the tops of houses. The richest coffee districts are completely ruined. Many trees cannot now be seen, as they are buried under ashes, and those that are not concealed by ashes have been burned. The principal losers are the coffee planters, mostly United States ecitizens ‘and Germans, whose properties are ruined. Two or three new craters tave been formed on the side of the voleano. There were no eruptions from the summit. Pumice and ashes were carried chiefly in southern,and western directions. The sea has a coating of volecanic material extending for many miles. Passing vessels have become enveloped in such darkness that they have been compelled to change their course to the high seas in order to be safe. The eruptions of Santa Maria continue. The loss of the coffee erop, which is Guatemala’s principal export, has completely demoralized commerce and Government finances gener- ally. National paper currency, which is the only circulating medium, has fallen to 7 cents gold for one paper dollar. The authorities are trying to force dealers to sell goods at usual prices, but the condition of affairs is such that business is paralyzed. Violently worded handbills and posters present. are being circulated. These increase the alarm and arouse the rabble. » ROME, Nov. 14.—The eruption of the voleano Stromboli is increasing in violence and is accompanied by, shocks of earthquake and alarming detonations. MASCAGNIS WOE TOLD TO EMBASSADOR MILLIONAIRE FOUND GUILTY OF BRIBERY Colonel Edward Butler Is Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment for Boodle Operations at St.» Louis. 2 Composer Has Talk With Italian | Diplomat. Further Complications Connected With His | Tour. ‘ Yankee Checks Shunned and Payment Demanded | in Currency. Special Dispatch to The Call. BOSTON, Nov. 14.—Signor Pietro Mas- his afternoon had a long consulta- Signor Edmondo Mayor Des- | | the Italian Embassador to the | tes, and at its conclusion the composer appeared radiantly v, although neither he nor the diplo- | nat would make any statement regard- ing the result of their heart-to-heart talk. r the Italian Government will | take definite action in regard to Mascag- | ni's troubles is yet to be determined. It at the latter’s request for his | erference is based on his igation of Joseph Smith, ow touring America with Elea- | | the Italian tragediennme. Ac- | ng to Samuel Kronberg, Mascagni's manager, Smith has for the past | vears resided in Florence, Italy, | de: e laws of that country five | sidence constitutes citizenship. FOR ITALIAN COURTS. The contract signed by the Mittenthal Brothers, Mascagni's American managers also signed by Josephi the document states, all g over the contract are to courts. It is the in- n of the Embassador to investigateq the case carefully and determine if the | | fa warrant or permit action by the ian Government. If not there will re- le alternative but to allow the case to take its course in the Messachu- sets courts. The composer feels bitterly toward those who have instigated the difficulties. His lack of knowledge of the English language makes it all the more difficul to comprehend the situation. After 4hé many complications of the last few days, he has come to expect the happening of enything, and has inquired wonderingly if the Boston incidents are to be repeated in every State in which he travels. He is particularly happy In the sympathy which has been accorded him by the| | press and has eagerly asked his secretary | Jo— to translate for him the different editorial remarks which have been expressed. | CHECKS CAUSE TROUBLE. | t night Mascagni and his troupe | t is, all that are jeft of them) gave in Providence, but after the | e was over Mascagni’s un-| ¥ with American methods once | e trouble for him and his man- | ager. . Checks are apparently mot popu- tempting to bribe Dr. Chap- e it Sancais SRRy . | man of the St. Louls Board of portion of whet wrered a check f0r & | Health in order to influence his vots on it 'at was due them they at|the fndorsement of a garbage contract 'r-r objected to accepting it and wanted | wiip the cify, has been found guilty by the money in bills < 3 (;,F,:, ;.,‘; na:]ri(h,rThf?”;houim;l‘ai . | the jury, which assessed the punishment BRRE JOF courie; Therh i e :;‘Fj:‘ |at three years in the penitentiary. The open at 1 o'clock in the morning and it | :;:;;t found last night, was announced was impossible to offe: enbacks -aay. the whote amoant ue them - Thees wor| T. H. Hickman, foremén of the jury, a sum of money that had been taken in | 52¥® the verdict of gultty was reached on at the box office during the evening, hut‘"" firct baliot, but it took three hours this did not suffice to pay what was due | 107 11e jury to agree upon the sentence. to Mascagni, for many of the tickets had | S0 of "':3 jury W:\n!tdt:: tglv:! Bu;ler ne man wanted to give him OLUMBIA, Mo., Nov. 4.— Colonel Edward Butler, mil- lionaire and politiclan of St. Louis, on trial charged with at- MILLIONAIRE AND POLITICIAN OF ST. LOUIS WHO HAS BEEN CON- VICTED OF BRIBERY AND SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS' PRISONMENT IN THE MISSOURI PENITENTIARY. M- Congressman James J. and Edward Jr., and their wives were in the courtroom when the verdict was received.’ A motion for a new trial was overruled. When asked by Judge Hockaday if he had any reason to offer why sentence should not be passed on him, Edward Butler safd: “I have nothing to say, your Honor, further than that I am not guilty of thc charge preferred against me." “The jury has passed on that question, Mr. Butler,” was Judge Hockaday's re- ply. “In accordance with the verdict I sentence vou to imprisonment in the State penitentiary for a term of three years.” The filing of an appeal to the State Su- been sold in advance. Accordingly, this | the limit. preme Court followed. -Judge Hockaday money was tendered, with a check for|©PlY @ fine and jail sentence. fixed Butler's bond at $10,000, which was o Colonel Butler, his wife, his two sons, | signed by prominent citizéns of Columbia: It was wot until after 1 o'clock thal | @ suiefuimiufulufmifetfulufuldufeieliotfuisioiisinirioflniifelioi et @ Mascagni decided that he would accept | the aforesaid check in payment and be | tracks and to the telegraph system. Many | on a charge of kidnaping his 6-year-old as fully satisfied as if it was all in | landslides are reported from the province | daughter. 5 $1 bills announced that The manager it had pre- | Of Valencia, bridges have been destroyed the troupe | and many villages flooded. would wait until :aorning he might be | able to pay them in penniecs. }HUBBAND IS ARRESTED = | ON KIDNAPING CHARGE Villages Flooded in Spain. | - MADRID, Nov. 14— Torrential rain- | FREEPORT,” Il., Nov. 4. — Richard storms have falien throughout spain,lBlalsdell was arrested here to-day and causing great damage to the railroad | taken to Oregon, Ill, where he is wanted It is said that Blaisdell tullov,ved his wife from California to Illinois. He se- cured possession of their child and drove with it to Freepert, where he was over-~ taken by officers. Both of the parents were formerly residents of Chicago. Mrs. Blaisdell is a daughter of the late Charles Gossage, a dry goods merchant —_— \ Volcanic Debris Is Encountered by the Ranger. Ashes Cover the Sea Forty Miles Off Shore. Cloud of Dust From Santa Maria’s Crater Settles Upon the Vessel. Special Dispatch to The Call. SAN DIEGO, Nov. 14—The United| States gunboat Ranger arrived to-day| frcn: Panama, where she has been sta- tioned since her departure from this port lzst June. She was relieved from duty at | Panama on October 25 and sailed from there on the morning of October 26. She had excellent weather on the voyage, the water being exceedingly siooth until Cape St. Lucas was reached, when more favorable winds were encountered and she made excellent time to, this port. . The vessel made two i , one at Co- rinto on October 3010 take on coal andthe other at Acapulco cn November 5. While off the coast of Mexico, near San Benito, | the Ranger ran into ashes, tree tops and other debris from the volcano Santa Maria, which was in eruption on October The vessel was forty miles at sea, but the debris from the volcanic moun- | tair covered the water. The dust floated | on the water and the cruiser seemed to be running through a creamy covering. That was on Sunady, November 2, more than a week after the eruption, yet the alr was filled with fine dust, which found its way to every nook of the cruiser. The Ranger followed the usual course of vessels coming up the coast, and, in- stead- of keeping out to sea and crossing _the mouth of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, skirted the shore to avoid the winds | which swept further away. She made no £top, but it could be seen from the bridge of the cruiser that the chore line and the trees were covered by the same dust that wos found so thick upon the water. —_—— WORST NOT YET TOLD:. Local Importers Believe Guatemala Suffered Severely. The latest news from Guatemala is that the volcano of Santa Maria is still in vio- lent eruption, but no figures have been recefved as to loss of life and property. That the country has suffered a heavy financial loss by the destruction of the ceffee plantations is certain. It is feared, however, that the worst news has yet to come and that the death roll will be ap- palling. The latest information received from Guatemala by coffee importers of this city is to the effect that the following towns and coffee plantations neighboring them are destroyed: Palmar, Xolhuitz, Costacuca, Chuva and probably Cucho and Tumbado. The plantations in the vicinity of Pamaxam and Pochute have escaped thus far. The loss.of the Guatemala coffee crop will greatly affect the market. The de- mand from California alone will exceed the supply from Guatemala. The yearly crop of coffee in Guatemala amounts to from 700,000 to 800,000 bags in shell, or from 94,500,000 to 108,000,000 pounds. Owing to the loss of the means of transporta- tion from the plantations to the railroads and seaports that portion of the crop saved will be shipped late. From' the re-: ports received by the importers it is be- lieved that there will not be more thar one-third of the average crop. The stock of Guatemala coffee in the hands of the local importers on October 30, 1901, was 18,409 bags, and on October 80, 1902, 16,802 bags, showing a natural shortage of 1607 bags. The plantations in the vicinity of Santa Maria are now covered by from four to six feet of white ashes. Those who have seen the mountain in eruption state that the smoke ascends in a column to an enormous height and then spreads out like an umbrella. Robbed by Three Men. 1,08 ANGELES, Nov. 14—Three men held up and robbed Julius Deidrich at an | Company: eariy hour to-day on Grand avenue, be-| Wol tween Sixth and Seventh streets. Died- | of rich was on his way home ‘when a man stepped from behind a hedge and com- | —De manded him to hold up his hands, at the game time presenting a revolver. Two other men made their appearance and| and . searched Diedrich, taking a watch and a few dollars in silver. When they had fin- | dale Coal 2 ished the highwaymen told their victim | Veagh, Ph to move on and say nothing. Great fears exist over the situation. The distress is terrible at g COAL STRIKE COMMISSIONERS . HEAR MINERS’ CONTENTIONS John Mitchell Presents a GlowIng Word-Picture of the Fearful Mortality Among Underground Workers and the Gloomy Conditions of Their Labor. CRANTON, Pa., Nov. 14—The Anthracite Coal Strike Com- mission, appointed by Presi- dént Roosevelt to arbitrate the differences exlsting be- “tween the mine workers of the hard coal fields of Pennsylvania and their employers, to-day began the hear- ing of testimony by which it will deter- mine whether or not the wbrkmen are receiving fair and just wages for their labor and whether their condition should not be improved. The star witness .for the miners—President John Mitchell— took the stand in the forenoon and when the committee adjourned at 4 o'clock in the dfternoon he was still under the fire of ‘cross-examination by David W. Wil- cox; counsel for the Delaware and Hud- son Company. It was a trying day for the miners’ leader, but he seemed to stand the test well. The heaviest fire of cross-questions was aimed at him late in | the afternoon session and when the hour of adjournment was reached Wilcox was still propounding questions and testing Mitchell's memory MOST NOTABLE DAY. The opening of the session was a not- able day in the annals of the law in the upper anthracité region. The commission's sessions are being held in the beautiful room of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which is now sitting in = Philadelphia: Ranged around three tables in front of the seven Commissioners, who occupied the Judge's bench, were no less than thirty lawyers, twenty-four of whom were leoking after the interests of the mine- owners. An official list of the attornéys Philadelp [reseman A ‘Sunbury; H. T. Newcomb Coal Company New York; A. P. ny—Willard, Warren 1ron Company- ; George F. Brownell, New York; Everett Warren, Scranton. any—Wayne Mac- K —— [} I —® £ WORR HORE GASES ZEFOZY FLZZ THE PRESIDENT OF THE MINE WORKERS AND CHARACTER OF HIS TESTIMONY. Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Coal Company—Walte: W. Ross, New York; J. R. Wilson, Scranton. Scranton Coal Company and Elk Hill Coal and Iron Company—John B. Kerr, New York; Alfred Hand, Scranton; James E. Burr, Carbondale, Pa. Delaware and Hudson Company—David Wilcox, New York; James T. Torror, Ecranton. Lehigh Valley Coal Company—Francis I Gowen, Philadelphia; Willard, War- ren and Knapp. Independent operators—C. F. Burns and H., C. Reynolds, Scranton. Non-union miners—John 'T. Lenahan, Wilkesbarre; Joseph O'Brien, Scranton. REPRESENT THE WORKERS. Besides President Mitchell ofthe Mirers’ Union, the mine workers were represent- ed’ by Clarence 8. Darrow of Chicago, as chief counsel; Henry D. Lloyd, Chicago; John F. Shea and James H. Shea of ‘Wilkesbarté; James F. Lenahan of Wilkesbarre, and John J. Murphy of Scranton. ‘In addition to these there were many memhers of the bar present who came merely to look on. The courtroom at both sessions was packed almost to suf- | focation and scores of persons were ums able to gain admittance. Only one of the heads of the large ‘coal companies, Chair- man Thomas of the Erle, was present. Grouped about Mitchell were Distrigt Presidents Nicholls, Duffy and Fahey, the three district secretaries, the three na- tional board members and the members of the district legislative board of the ag- thracite fleld. The attitude of the commission was closely followed by every one in the courtroom. They appeared to be greatly interested in the cross-examination of Mitchell, but at times seemed to grow restless under the ceaseless fire of ques- ticns aimed at the mine workers' leades, Judge Gray, as chairman of the commis. sion, being versed in court procedure, was the only spokesman for the commig~ sion. He at times asked questions and at the very close of the afternoon session di~ rected a query at Mitchell which Wileox Lad been leading up to for some time. The chairman asked Mitchell whether his organization approved the act of with~ drawing from or denying the necessarisp of life to those who had offenfled the or~ genization and he replied: “I should say, emphatical QUESTIONED BY 0X. During the day Wilcox asked Mitchell many questions as to the policies of the union, the method of strikes, the ability of the union to maintain discipline and prevent the members of the union from violating the law, and also as to the la. bility of the union breaking contracts. It ‘was’apparent to many of those present who understood the situation that Wil- cox's object was to attempt to prove by Mitchell's own testimony that the conten- tion of the companies that the Miners" Union was an irresponsible organization and that trade agreements therefore could not be safely entered into was well founded. During the hearing the statement was brought out for the first time since the late strike was begun that the union had disbursed $1,500,000 among the union and non-union men who were on strike. One of the questions which came up before the Continued on Page 2, Column 1.