davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
OREGON no 90 BACK.
The Vessel viii Probably Return to
the Pacific Station.

washington, Sept. 7-Acting Secre-
tarv Allen said today that the navy
departm ent had not determined finally
upon sending reinforcements to the Pa
cif1c station. As this station, fromerly
well supplied with ships, had, since the
withdrawal of the Oregon and the dis
match of other vessels of less formula
BILE character, been left with an almost
Insignificant force, 1t is not to be ex-
pected that the navy department Will
take steps to restore the station to its
original Importance at once, now that
hOStidtieS are believed to be ended.
Because Of the vast inheritance of the
commercial interests on the Pacific
slope requiring naval protection, it has
been the policy Of the department to
maintain effective and powerful iron
clads there, particularly in view of the
fact that the coast defenSeS have not
yet been developed to a point common
surate with the value of the interest to
be protected. Thus, the opening of the
war saw no less than three such ships
in San Francisco harbor, the Oregon,
the Monterey and the MonadnOck, Suf-
ficient with the aid of the coast defen-
SeS to amply protect San Francisco.
All of these vessels have been sent else
where, the Oregon to the North Allan
tic station, and the two big monitors to
reinforce Dewey. Therefore, it is pro-
bable that with the opportunity now
opening the navy department will re-
place these vessels on the Pacific coast.
tt is not deemed safe nor prudent at
this time TO Withdraw the Monterey ana
the Monadnock from the Asiatic sta
ton. The case is different, however
with the Oregon. Her withdrawal and
return to the Pacific coast would leave
several effective 1roncIads on the At
lantic station and in view of the ap-
preaching completion of the powerful
battleships Kearsarge and Kentucky,
it is possible that even another iron
clad may be spared from the Atlantic
fleet to accompany the Oregon. 1t is
scarcely expected that Captain Barker,
the present commander of the Oregon,
would retain that command in the
event that the ship is sent back to the
Pacific He has served the full period
of time which the unwritten law re-
quires of an officer of his grade and it
is probable that he would prefer shore
duty while awaiting his promotion to
the next grade.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07

grave robbing in his native state, but it
was in connection with his official ott1ce
as head of a department in a medical
college, and the charge was never
pressed.
His treatment at the hands of Sheriff
Gordon, of Fairfax county, is none OF
the best and when he was taken over
to the court house, a few yards away
from the jail the sheriff's son, that Of
fcer being absent, insisted upon hand-
cufFine the officer, saying: Its hard, L
know, but them is Pops orders when he
is away" His letters are all read, ana
he is regarded by the population as a
human species of the hyena.
The only charge upon which he was
convicted by the court martial was
neglect of duty in failing to arrest the
men whom he saw Decorating grave
on the battlefield, ana the punishment
was a light fine.
This Information has been officially
communicated to Judge Love, and IN
view of this fact he has made a light
bail for the prisoner, which he hopes to
furnish at an early date. He has re-
tanned Attorney r. w. Moore as coun-
sell and the lawyer is certain that his
client will be released as soon as the
case comes to trial
Capt. Duncan is a tall man, rather
thin,and has red hair, worn pOmpadour,
and a red mustache- A Two weeks
growth of beard covers his race, ana
his hollow cheeks and sad voice be-
token how much he has suffered.
Capt. Duncan gave the following
and it is the first statement of any
kind he has made since the charges
were brought against him:
while in the hands of the military
authorities I did not deem it proper or
military to make any statement for the
press but now that I have been de-
iivered to the civil authorities feel free
to speak and deny the many false and
malicious statements made against my
name and character.
LAS to my connection with the desc
Grafton of the grave of the Confederate
soldier Duke a court martial com
posed of a brigadier general, four col
onels, four majors and four other Off
GERS has already judged Two of these
officers are ex-Confederate soldiers.
lover so witnesses testified and 500
Dases of evidence were recorded, and
what was the decision? That I took no
part in these dissertations; that 1 was
guilty of neglect of duty only because
I did not arrest privates who were
digging in the grave. My part in the
deplorabIe affair, as testified to in the
court martial by myself and borne out
bv other evidence, was as follows:
ION the morning of August 6, while
the Second division was camped near
Bull Run, I went out sketching, as is
my custom when have leisure. While
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07

strolling about the battlefield Icame up
on a body of men digging in a little
hole, about eight inches deep and two
feet across.
4 had already seen dozens of men all
over the fields searching for relics and
not a few digging, so thought nothing
of it. I stayed some ten minutes, watch
ing the digging and talking to another
officer who was present. Then learn
ed that a gravestone was thereabouts
and found it lying out some Is feet
from where the men were digging.
IT learned what was on it. but as I
had been informed that all the bodies
of soldiers whereabouts had been re
moved to Arlington and Manassas, did
not think much of the matter How
ever, I saw a hospital corps man there,
and ordered him back to camp Che was
the only man there over whom I sup
posed had authority. The other men
there were not under my command
not even of my regiment AS I am a
surgeon, I have no command
Il started to go away, but stopped to
think the matter over, and then came
back and told the men to quit digging
and go away. They did so, scattering
in every direction. The excavation at
this time (about 500 a. ND was about
one and a half feet deep and two feet
across, and nothing whatever had been
removed except dirt and small stones.
After ordering the men away I left
the spot at once and have never seen it
since. That is the sum and substance
=
to prove that I was there again.
Nov as to the dissertations. It was
shown on trial that some parties began
digging again, but were Immediately
stopped by a captain of the Third New
York about 1890 a. N. At that time
the excavation had reached a depth of
two feet, but nothing had been taken
out except dirt. This captain stopped
the digging, had the hole refIled and
the stone replaced
1.-THE evidence further shows that I
returned to camp before IL a. M and
was there the remainder of the day;
that some time in the afternoon, prob
ably between 2 and other. parties
took out the skull and one or two
bones. but that nothing was taken
away.
Another officer came up, replaced
the bones, refilled the grave and placed
a. guard over it. This ended the deplor-
able affair.
I have one thing more to say. It
has been charged that 1 was the leader
of this, and that I did it out of feeling
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07

made to promote the interests of the
party.
THE convention proceeded properly
to establish a referendum system
through which nominees of the party
for the several offices could be selected
by the members of the party voting in
their respective precincts. When we
sought to have the national central and
national organization committees put
the programme into effect, Within an
hour they refused, disregard1ng the
plan adopted by themselves and imme
president and vice president, and by
their action we believe they have
placed themselves outside the regular
organization of the Peoples party and
created for themselves a new party.
'ThereupOn quite one-haIf the dele
gates withdrew, preferring to remain
loyal to the Peoples party and willing
to trust future developments to remedy
party difficulties. We implore the Pop
ulists of every state to pay no heed
nor to attach Importance to this small
sloughing off of party timber but to
maintain an aggressive warfare, on the
line hitherto followed to build up and
preserve our state and local organiZa-
lions, in accordance with the recon-
mendations of the national organization
committee, as adopted at Nashville
July 4, 1897 and the subsequent agree
ment between our two national COM
mittees at Omaha June Is, 1898, relying
on the patriotism and good judgment
of men advocating both policies of par
ty management to heal their differences
before the time fixed for our regular
national convention"
The above resolutions were unani-
mously adopted by delegates in whole
or part from the states of Michigan, IL
hnois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Missouri and Arkansas.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
DUNCAN'S CASE.
What Virginians Think of Capt.
L. C. Duncan.
Wearing His Uniform, He Is in
a Small Cell.
SICK AND WORN OUT.
He Makes a Statement of the
Case For First Time.
Asks Only Fair Treatment at
Hands of Prosecutors.
SICK AND WORN OUT

Washington, Sept. 7.-Garbed in the
honorable blue of the United States
army, with shoulder straps bearing the
double hurdles, indicative of the rank
of captain, Louis c. Duncan, of Topeka,
Kan, is confined in a small cell at the
Fairfax CVa.) county jail, charged with
the ghoulish crime of desecrating the
grave of a Confederate officer on the
battlefield of Bull Run
Tried before a court martial composed
of 10 officers of high rank, including two
ex-Confederate soldiers, he was ac-
quilted of the charge of conduct unbe-
coming an officer and a gentleman, the
general head under which the crime
was calendared, but he has been turn
ed over to the civil authorities by Gen.
Graham, and unless he can furnish bail
in the sum Of $1,100 he will have to
await trial on the charge of grave desc
Grafton at Fairfax Court House until
the third Monday in September. The
penalty for the offense in Virginia is
from five to ten years at hard labor.
Capt. Duncan is an assistant surgeon
of the Twenty second Kansas regiment,
coming of an excellent family, and was
married just before he entered the ser
vice. He was once before charged with
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07

toward the Confederate dead. I want
to deny that accusation. do not be-
lieve that it was made by ex-Confede-
rates, but by reporters who wish to in
gratiate themselves with the south.
want to say that for the Confederate
soldiers, living or dead, have a pro-
found respect. I, too, am a soldier. and
have read with admiration of the dash
ing troopers of J. E. B. Stuart, the foot
cavalry of Stonewan Jackson and the
often hungry, ragged, dust-browned
men in gray that followed Robert E.
Lee to a hundred fields, and finally, at
Appomattox. gave up their flags, low
cred, but not dishonored. No man liv-
ing honors them more than I. The
memory of their heroism is a heritage
to all.
Neither do think that the men who
actually took part in the sad affair did
it out of sectional feeling. I think rath-
er that it was the outcome of reckless
ness in young men, engendered by camp
life in a volunteer army, added to a
foolish desire for relics
Il am far from home and among
strangers. For the sake of my family,
to whom this is torture, I ask fair
treatment until it has been proved that
I have done wrong"
LOUIS c. DUNCAN,
Captain and Assistant Surgeon Tween
ty-second Kansas Infantry, United
States Volunteers.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
Knocked From Track to Ditch
but Comes Up Smiling.
WILL IMPROVE TRACK
Union Pacific Contracts For
Grading and LeVeIing
Between WamegO and RossV1IIe,
and viii Begin at Once

Cherryvale. sept THE Santa Fe pas
senger train was rounding a curve at 1ul1
speed about five miles south of Cherry
vale. when Engineer Jack Prentice was
startled by the sight of a 2-year-old baby
standing in the middle of the track but a
few rods ahead. 1t was looking intently
at the approaching train, apparently IN
mindful of its awful danger.
The engine was reversed and the passen-
gers thrown from their seats, but the
train did not stop in time to prevent strik-
ing the child. 1t was knocked off the
track and down the enbankment, where
it rolled against a railroad tie in some
weeds. Engineer Prentice was down of
his engine before it had stopped and run
ming back along the side of the train, ex-
pected to pick up the bruised and man
gIed form of the little child.
The little child lay there smiling, and,
as far as the train crew and passengers
could see. not injured in the least. When
they gathered around it the little thing
began to cry from fright Conductor
Pothour and several others then carried
it to a farm house near by, where II was
received with all the Kindness and affee-
ton that mothers love could give it.
Aside from its being badly scared, the lit
tie child was not the worse for its sX-
DerienCR.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
COMING TO TOPEKA.
Kansans Plan to Attend the Reunion
and Fall Festival.

Garden City Imprint: John Crooms E'il
take a thirty days leave of absence rom
the santa Fe and with several members
of his family will visit relatives at Hutch
inson and also attend the G. A. r. reunion
at Topeka. In the civil war John was
member OF the Fifth United States color
ed cavalry, also was mempr OF the DR.
go bor5 After the war he cheerfully
took IN the task of caring for his family
Sine1e-handed in Kentucky he acquired
GOOD farm In order to inlmigrate to
kansas. enjoy the boom and eat the fruit
. +tareof he sold out and now holds a good
t-sc+ of land in Grant county and a com
for+able home at this place One of his
bovs is now with the troops at Santiago.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
PREACHER DIES IN PULPIT
Rev. Stephenson of Jamestown, o.
Victim of Heart Disease.

Springfield, O., Sept. w lille deliver
ing a sermon at High Street NJ e. ehurch
Rev. James Stephenson died IN the pulpit
He was a visitor here, supplying the pull
nit in the absence Of the regular pastor.
He resided in jamestown, o., was about 6O
wears of age and leaves wife and seven
children.
He made an utterance strikingly pro-
nhetic at the beginning of his discourse
He said: ''I will try to preach just TWEEN
tv-fve minutes" and in just twenty-five
minutes after he began he breathed ms
turned to another minister sitting IN the
pulpft and said he felt faint. He sat
down and a physician in the audience
FASTENED to him, but he was then IN ms
final agony. . -
Christi his text being Hebrews, XVI, L
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
MAY BE SENATOR GRAY
Who Will Take the Place Previously
offered to Justice White.

Washington, Sept. Tt is now un-
derstood that the vacant place on the
peace commission, resulting from Jus
tice Whites decision, has been offered
to Senator George Gray of Delaware,
one of the leading Democratic mem
bers of the senate and a member of the
minority on. the foreign relations com
mission Senator Gray has had a long
conference with the president, the con-
ference relating partly to the work of
the Canadian commission, of which
Senator Gray is a member, and partly
to the peace commission. While the
senator has not definitely indicated his
acceptance of the peace commissioner
ship, it is regarded as not unlikely that
he will finally be the fifth member of
the commission.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
WILL RACE NEXT YEAR.
International Yacht Event Has Been
Finally Arranged.

New York, Sept AT a conference
between the challenge committee of the
Royal Ulster Yacht club and the cup
committee of the New York Yacht club
the Sandy Hook course was agreed up
on. The Newport course was not con-
sidered.
The conditions agreed upon provide
that the match shall be decided by the
best three out of five races over courses
that shall be, as nearly as possible
thirty nautical miles in length, starting
from Sandy Hook lightship. The first,
third and fifth races shall be to wind
ward or leeward and return, while the
second and fourth races shall be over
an eQuilateral triangle
The challenger, it is agreed, shall be
informed at least one week before the
first race what vessel is to defend the
cup.
The first race, it was decided, shall be
sailed on Tuesday, October 8, 1899, IN
less the Shamrock should be detained
by stress of weather or other cause. in
which case three weeks shall be given
her for fitting out after her arrival, but
the first race shall not be started later
than October 10. The races shall be
sailed on Tuesdays and Saturdays until
completed.
The date is later than is common for
similar contests. Only once, in the races
between the Vigilant and Valkyrie II,
has the date been so late as October.
behalf of the New York Yacht club:
1.-THE committee of the New York
Yacht club, in announcing the concIu-
siOnS of the negotiations, wish to partic-
uIarIy draw public attention to the act
of congress passed in 1896, under which
the United States government has pow
er to formulate and enforce regulations
for the purpose of insuring a clear
course and the safety both of the spec
tators and the contestants, and the
committee confidently appeals to those
who may attend the races to assist the
authorities by strictly carrying out such
regulations. The growing popularity
of the race and the consequent increase
in the number of the spectators renders
it absolutely essential, in their interest
and in the interest of both contestants
| that all regulations the authorities may
| publish shall be strictly adhered to-
The members of the Ulster club will
leave for various parts of this country
and Canada within a few days, but will
return here before sailing for Ireland.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
CHINA'S FIRST RAILROAD.
Emperor Greatly Rejoiced and Orders
More Lines Built

Tacoma, wash, Sept. 7.-China's first
railroad was opened for traffic four weeks
ago. 1t connects Shanghai with Woo
Sung, on the ocean fourteen miles away.
The Chinese have been building the road
for two years and there is great rejoicing
by the emperor at its completion
The excitement of the Chinese along the
line on the opening day was one of the
most remarkable sights ever witnessed in
China They filled the rice fields for
miles between Shanghai and Woo Sung
Some had scarcely left the fields for
ing locomotives make trial trips. The
emperor has issued an edict directing
Sheng, director general of railroads, to
Immediately complete more railways.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
FIREmEN ImPRovING.
Vice President Maier Returns From a
Trip North

president Of the brotherhood Of Railway
Firemen, has returned from protracted
visit to the northwest, reaching to Port
land. Ore. He will remain here until next
week. when he goes, to the biennial con-
ventiOn at Toronto, Canada
Speaking of his order, Vice. President
Mafer said that its moral spiritual and
financial condition was never better and
that he would present to the convention
a most gratifying showing. Wages have
been increased on almost every railroad
in the west and that no differences of any
character have arisen but have been
amicably adjusted without trouble
The membership of the order shows an
increase of over nine thousand the past
Two years.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
ONE HUNDRED NEW MEN.
Santa Fe Increases Working Force at
AlbuQuernue.

Albuquerque. n. NJ, Sept THE Santa
Fe Railway company has increased the
working force in its shops here by the
addition of another hundred men. making
the force now regularly employed at this
place a little over 500. Engagements and
additions in the way of new buildings and
new machinery are going on constantly,
and the superintendent of construction
states that he has orders to push the work
of expansion as rapidly as practicable I'M
til the plant has a capacity of 1900 men.
The company determined some time ago
70 concenrrate all It's buildings and re-
making the shops at these two places of
equal capacity, and both immense eStab-
1ishments. Since then the force at this
place has been increased from 250 to over
daily
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
Dewey Settles It.

Washington, Sept. Admiral Dewey
was recently called upon to investigate re-
ports that the Spanish prisoners taken by
the insurgents in the Philippines were
subjected to cruel treatment. A cable
message was received from Admiral
Dewey today saying that the story prob
ably originated from the fact that the in
surgents were unable to meet the wants of
the sick Spanish prisoners owing to a
lack of physicians and medical supplies
He said he had been unable to find anv
proof of acts of cruelty on the part Of
the insurgents.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
THE LIVING FIRST.
Then the Bodies of the Dead Soldiers
Will Be Cared For.

Madison, Wis, Sept. THE Wfscon-
sin soldiers who fell in Porto Rico or
Cuba will rest finally in Wisconsin's
soil This information is conveyed by
a telegram from Governor Schofeld.
who is in Washington, in which he
says:
1.-THE government has arranged to
bring home the bodies of soldiers de-
ceased in Cuba or Porto Rico. The war
department informs me nothing will be
done about this until all the troops now
in the service are properly cared for"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
BLACK WILL TRY 1T.
Will Not Step Aside for Col Roose-
welt.

Albany, N. Y, Sept. 7.-Governor
Black, Superintendent of Insurance
Pain, Superintendent of Public Works
Aldridge and Charles S. Francis, editor
of the Troy Times, held a conference
and at its conclusion it was definitely
announced that Governor Black would
be a candidate for denomination until
the last ballot had been counted in the
convention.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
Eli Williams Renominated.

Mcpherson. Kan, Sept. THE triune
FORCES met in county convention in this
Guy and nominated the following ticket:
representative, Eli P. Williams, Silver
republican; probate Judge, J. W.WaIk-
er, Democrat: county attorney. John
Hanson. Populist; superintendent.
l. =. Criner, Populist; clerk of court,
l. Il. kIopenstein, Populist.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
SALOONS MusT GO.
Bars at Union Pacific Eating Houses
Ordered Abandoned

Denver News: 1.-THE order of President
Burt Of the Union Pacific closing all sa-
the line in which the company has an
interest will be very generally approved
by the public. If the railroad company,
as it does, enforces a rule of strict so
briefly among its employees, and partiou-
larly its trainmen, it is inconsistent for
the company to hold out temptation to
them, As it did when these saloons were
open President Burt's order is, there
fore, not only in the interest of a con-
sistent policy, but of the general cause of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
WILL IMPROVE THE TRACK.
Union Pacific Lets Contract to Capt.
John x. Wright

Junction City, Sept. captain John K.
Wright, while away this week, closed a
deal with the Union Pacific to do some
road work between Wamego and Silver
Lake. The work viii require four or five
months. What is not done this fall will
be looked after next spring
The new management will give this line
of the Union Pacific a thorough overhaul
ing. The track from Wamego east will
be raised. leYeled and ballasted.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
MAKE a TEST CASE.
Brakeman Has Trainmaster Arrested
at Arkansas City.

named Barnes. formerly in the employ az ~
the santa Fe railroad at this place, had
ern division of the santa Fe, arrested To-
day on the charge Of refusing to give good
is set for next Friday. This is the fir -s5t
case of the kind in the history of the
Santa Fe at this place