Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-15
Retroactive in Character.
Special to the Gazette.


WASHINGTON, Sept. 12.-The provision
in the tariff bill that il shall take effect
on October Of the present year with the
exception Of the sugar clause which goes
into effect March l, 1891, is manifest
injustice to importers and manufact-
urers. There is also inserted 8
clause to the effect that goods
imported prior to August L, 1890.
and now in hand, will be
subject to the cid duties, If the duty is
paid on or before November l next.
This is doubtless intended TO prevent
large importations being rushed in to
take advantage of the old rates of duty
on many items prior to the bill taking
effect, and thus deranging the money
market by creating demand for funds
to be used in paying duties. 1t is evident
that the bill is retroactive in character.
The object of the bill could be
reached by providing that the bill
shall take effect October 81 , and that all
goods arriving prior thereto shall be sub
ject to the rate of duty provided by the
old tariff and be allowed to remain in
bond for the usual bonded period, which
was extended by the customs admlnis-
tratIoD bill from one year to three years.
The importers are now f1ocking to Wash
ington in large numbers and will en-
deavor to have the retroactive phase of
the bill amended in conference.
THE BEAN CASE.
The history of the Bean will case, de-
cided by Judge Agnew at Bonham, Tex.
last week, has been told more or less
fully at various times, and it ia a most
interesting case. Special interest at
taches to the Bean estate in Washington,
as the case may be said to have had its
origin here, and many of the heirs are
residents Of this city.
Mr.. s. 81. Bacon, grandson of Anne
Bean, IN discussing the case said to q
local reporter: "The Bean case, SO far
as anyone can say, is at last closed for
all time. The decision that was made
last week Is entirely in favor of the
Washington claimants, aud one by one,
as the trial progressed and our proof wa
brought in, all the other claimants with
drew, realizing the hopelessness of their
CASE
THE CURIOUS STORY OF THOMAS BEAN.
"What was the story of old Thomas
Bean? Well, it was rather an interest
ing one I'll admit, having its beginning,
as it did, In this city at the time of the
second war with Great Britain and the
scene of its last chapter located In Texas
in this year 1890. In 1912 Col. Bean and
Winifred Murray, a daughter Of an
old Virginia family, eloped and
were mrrried at Christ's church,
navy yard, in this city. Her
parents never forgave the runaway
couple and NO fatherly blessing was ever
given to their daughter, though she
pleaded earnestly for forgiveness. One
son, Thomas Bean, was the result of
this romantic match. He followed the
star Of the empire and ended up by set
thing in Texas, where, as the years
rolled by, he amassed huge fortune
and became the owner of immense
tracts of Texas land that
has since become very valuable,
When he died, as you remember, few
years ago it was thought that there were
no heirs at all. However, thread BY
thread and strand by strand the rope of
evidence has been picked up and twisted
together until ct last after years Of