The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-19
OLNEY SENDS A REPLY.

The American Commissioners Are In
vestigating Chinese Massacres.
Rev. c. NJ. Hill of East Oakland received
a reply this afternoon from the Secretary OF
State to the petition forwarded to the De-
partment at Washington by the Baptist
Ministerial Union CT San Francisco and
Oakland three weeks ago.
The reply received to-day reads:
Gentlemen: The department received on Sep
TENDER your communication relative TO the
recent anti-foreIgn riots in China.
There is a. present an American commission
inves tigating at kutien in conjunction with
British commissioners the riots which took
place in that locality and our Minister TO China
reports that the proceedings are satisfactory,
that the Chinese authorities are actively coop
Grating in the detection of those thought guilty
and that numerous convictions have already
been secured.
As to the riots in Western China, it was at
first contemplated that this Government
should investigate them jointly with British
commissioner. who was TO have been sent
there. The British Government experiencing
delay in sending its commissioner our Minister
IN Peking has been instructed to organize an
American commission to proceed to SZechuan
and there investigate the cause of the riots, the
extent OF the damage sustained by American
citizens and to report on the means most suita-
able to secure full protection 10 American life
and property. This latter commissioner will,
II &nOt doubted, be able TO discharge its i'm
poRant duties as satisfactorily as the one which
is now sitting in the province of Fukien.
ALVEY a. ADEN, Acting Secretary OF State.
Poisoned by Cheese.
= DR.. A. H. Pratt was called upon Sunday
morning to attend Mrs. w. II. Wester-
man OF 1903 TWenty-eighth street, and her
family of small children, who were suffer-
ing from the effects of poisoning. They
we're soon placed out of danger, but were
still quite weak from the suffering through
which they had passed.
DR.. Pratt believed they were suffering
from some poison taken with their food, Of
the nature OF verdigris. Later, however,
it was discovered that the accident was
caused from eating cheese, bought from a
near by grocery.
Market Inspector Pierce has taken a
piece of the cheese for examination, and
left orders at the store that none of the re-
maining cheese be sold until he had made
a report.
No blame is attached to the grocer who
sold the cheese to the Westerman family,
as he is doing all possible to locate the
fault.
Wants Heavy Damages.
George Gates has sued the stockholders
OF the San Benito Irrigation Company for
S125,000 damages.
Gates says the San Benito Irrigation
Company was formed on December 10 of
last year in pursuance of the agreements
y
assigned all his interests in the water
rights, contracts and lands he held to the
corporation. Then follows his complaint
that the company refused and neglected to
issue him the stock agreed upon. He re-
ceived $500 shares, but he SAYS the CON-
pany was incorporated for only $500 900
and not $500, 600, as was agreed upon. He
claims also that they failed to pay the
$1175 agreed upon, and, what was worse,
failed to construct the irrigation canal
which was to be the source of income to the
corporation. He says likewise that the
company was not placed on commercial
basis, as had been promised.
Not Sure of Their Ground.
Only one bid for the $4,000 refunding
bonds has been filed with City Clerk
Tompkins. This one was received from
Mason, Lewis & Co. of Chicago.
1t has been decided to postpone selling
the bonds until after the Supreme Court
has passed upon the legality of the issue
made in the same manner at Los Angeles.
Took Poison.
yesterday afternoon William Vogt, a
carpenter by occupation, was brought to
the Receiving Hospital to be treated for
poison.
He had been found dying on the side
walk on West street, between Sixth and
Seventh, by Officer Murray, and was re-
moved to the hCsDital