The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-01-15
SUBSCRIPTION books for the 81, 500. 600

SUBSCRIPTION books for the 81, 500, 600
first mortgage five per cent gold
bonds of the st. Louis & San Francisco
Railway Co.'S southwestern division
were formally opened at the off ce of
Redmond, Kerr & Co., in New York
city, on the 10th, but were Immediately
closed, the bonds having already been
heavily over-subscribed.
FRANCIS D. NEWTON, q prosperous
farmer of Brookfield, Mass, his wife
Sarah and their ~ten-year-old adopted
daughter Ethel, were found murdered
in their beds on the 10th. A hired
man who had been employed by New
ton was missing.
EFFORTS are being renewed to secure
the passage of a bill by congress to de-
fine train wrecking with intent to rob
and to provide the penalty of death
therefor. In the last eight years the
number of hold-ups on railroads has
increased steadily from II in 1890 to 80
in 1897. In eight ears there have been
2lS hold-ups, IS people killed land 81
wounded by the robbers.
The state department has received
from Consul-General Lee a communi-
cation relative to the situation in Cuba,
in which he says the Spanish plan of
autonomy is doomed to speedy failure.
An early collapse of the present policy
is predicted, and Gen. Lee Il see no
solution of the Cuban problem short of
intervention by the United States.
LIEUT. Col. FREDERICK FUNSTON, son
of former Congressman Z. II. Funston,
of lola, kas., has returned from Cuba
covered with scars, and having achieved
the highest rank to which an American
has been promoted. He was Gomez
chief of artillery, and operated the ia
nous dynamite guns.
THOMAS a. Edison has made a dis
covery which gives promise of revol u
tionizing the iron business of the
world. 1t is nothing less than u new
metal, which, admixcd with iron, rem
ders cast-iron as tough sand strong as
wrought iron. The discovery was made
purely by accident.
The senate, on the 10th, in executive
session, decided that, in view of the
fact that the Chinese question would
inevitably enter into the discussion,
the Hawaiian annexation treaty should
be considered behind closed doors.
BRIEF reports from Fort Smith, Ark,
on the morning of the 18th, stated that
the city had been struck by a tornado
about IL O'clock on the night of the
l1th, spreading destruction in every di-
rection. Thirty persons were Relieved
=, lrr-, loo, 1;II.l ,,l fIT. 1870 l-
dred injured. Fire added to the hor-
rors of the situation.
7. A. LARGY, president of tire State
savings bank of Butte, Mon, was
shot and killed in his office on the 18th.
The killing is believed to be the out
come of litigation resulting from the
big explosion which occurred in Butte
three years ago.
BY the falling of a Gag in the Ores.
ton mine at Minas Pistras, mex, on
the 18th, eight men were hurled 500
feet to the bottom of the shaft Five
were killed outright and the remain
ing three were n~otexpected to survive.
AN unexpected fall of snow 1T Los
Angeles, Cal, on the 10th, die no dam
age to the orange crop, which is now
being harvested in prime condition.
A NEW disease resembling cancer ha.
developed in a Kansas farmers herd
recently purchased in Colorado. Forty
heifers, or Is per cent. of the herd, are
affected, many of which may die.
The greatest enthusiasm and activ
ity prevails at ~Shorncliffe, England,
from which camp the Third hussars
have been ordered to proceed. Large
drafts from other British regiments
are also preparing for foreign service.