Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-20
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM
Review of the Molineux Trial Up to
Date.
EPIDEMIC OF CRIME PREVAILING
England Allowed to Buy War Ma
teriaI in This Country.
SOME POLITICAL VIEW s


ending Six weeks was the maximum dura-
ton, and onc-third of that time has elapsed
with only small number of the 104 wit
nesses examined. Kinsley, the handwriting
expert, will probably occupy the stand for
two days more, but after that it is not GER
tain what witness will be taken up.
Reviewing the trial to date shows that
the defense has gone far toward casting
doubt upon the reliability of expert testi-
nIony The trial so far seems to be trial
of the handwriting experts and their pro-
fession as much as it is the trial of Roland
f. Molineux. 1t is beyond the power of or
binary prophesy to foretell what phase or
department of his proofs Osborne will take
up next. He has thrown to the winds the
accepted order, and goodly portion of the
defense's time without doubt is taken up in
endeavoring to foresee into which quarter
the prosecution will jump 1t seems thus
far to have been his purpose to punctuate
the tedious succession of old facts long ago
gone over with strokes of a sensational
nature such as the testimony of Heiles and
again of Mary MelandO. What the neNt OF
these will be it is difficult to conceive, but
its summary demand for immediate intro
ductiOn must be made very clear, Tor the
protests of the defendants counsel against
IRE gularity in the order of proof nave peen
strenuous, and Recorder Golf will hardly
take kindly to the introduction OF further
surprises. Having secured already the al
PRODUCTION of the name of Mrs. Roland
Molineux having come unexpectedly, cou-
pied with that of Barnet, it is not unlikely
that the prosecutor will proceed as soon as
possible to the circumstances preceding ana
attending the death of Barnet as prellm-
nary to the actual attempt to poison Cor
nish. The unfortunate exploiting OF the
name of the woman-to which the uni
versal feeling of consideration for woman
lends an unattractive color-wiil clear the
way further for the bringing forward of
this part of the case.
An Epidemic of Murder.
Murder seems to have been epidemic in
Greater New York for a year past, while
the returns from other parts of the country
exhibit the prevalence of similar sinister
conditions. 1t is difficult to assign a cause
for this increase of the homicidal tendency
In the mass of the population. Physicians
are inclined to ascribe 1t TO the high pres
sure of end of the century civilization,
which drains the vitality and saps the nerve
force of the strongest men. Practical OBJ
servers, the other hand, declare that the
increase of all forms of homicide is due to
the inefficiency of the police in tracking
murderers to earth. Weight is given to
this view by the fact that in the last two
years murder by poisoning-the most diff
cult to trace of all crimes-has increased
to an unprecedented extent. Experts have
estimated that within a little more than
twelve years upward of 400 men and wo-
men have met death by violence at the
number of murders more than sixty still
remain mysteries The police have failed
to unravel them. For the first time in the
history of Sing Sing prison the death house
filled in April of the current year.
Eight prisoners were confined there await
ing death for the crime of murder, and the
house was ordered. The warden of the
prison said at that time that they We're
convicting men Of murder so fast in this
city that he didn know what to do with
hon he .yFar INyrrfif Of tI1n n h
house, said he, seems to indicate that the
crime of murder is committed more fire.
quently in New York today than 1t was
some years ago..
England May Buy War Material.
According to Charles D. Pierce consul
general of the Orange Free State, the De-
partment of State in Washington will not
do anything to interfere with the sale of
munitions of war in this country to the
British government, to be used in fighting
the. Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
nor with their transportation to England
or anywhere else that the British govern
ment wishessto have them sent. Mr.. Pierce
is said to have made protest to Secretary
Hay, due to letter received from Dr.
Hendrtck Muller, envoy extraordinary of
the Orange Free State at The Hague Hol-
land calling his attention to the shipment
by cartridge company of Bridgeport
Conn, of 100000 cartridges to South Afri-
ca. He also said that this COMPANY had re-
ceived other large orders from the British
government, and directed him to protest 70
the United States government against tho
sale of the munitions of war to be used
against the Orange Free State with which
this country is at peace Mr.. Pierce it is
said, on Saturday received a reply from
Mr.. Hay citing authorities to show that in
case of war beligerents have the right to
purchase any kind of goods in a neutral
country, subject to confiScation after Shin
ment. When asked whether he had to saw
anything in regard to this reply, Mr. Pierce
said: Nothing at ALL" He could not him
self tell how American volunteers could
get into the Boer army, but if they went
from here to a certain port in Europe he
added, there were funds on hand there to
transport suitable men who wished to ioin.
Preparing for Census.
The actual work of enumeration for the
twelfth census is less than six months
away. Charles S. Wilbur census sunervi-
scr for Manhattan and The Bronx. is busi
ly engaged in dividing the territory under
his care into enumeration districts Each
of these districts, it is intended, shall con-
tain a maximum of $500 persons and i; is
expected that there will be about 300 of
them, with an average population of 2.OOO
Although Mr.. Wilbur does not vet venture
an estimate OF the number of persons that
the next census will show as living in Man
haitian and The Bronx, this would Indicate
that population somewhat exceeding two
millions will be found in the two burroughs.
g
tricts Is based upon estimates drawn main
iy from the directory counts and the cleo
ton registry lists, where new parks have
been opened, the sections made larger than
such estimates would warrant, and, con-
VerSely, where new institutions with a
large number of inmates are situated the
sections are narrowed. In the congested
lower east side. and in some portions of
the west side. where there has been rapid
growing of the foreign population in the
past few years, the enumeration districts
are much smaller in extent than those of
the census OF 1890. In some portions of the
east side district will include less than a
single block. The time allotted for the ac-
tual work of enumeration is two weeks
For the compilation of their reports the
enumerators will be allowed two more
weeks. The enumerat2rs will be appointed
by the local supervisor. with the approval
or the director general. The department
insists upon great care in their selection.
If possible, the enumerators are to be resi-
dents of the district to which they are as
signed.
Senator j. p. Jones Talks Politics,
1T is impossible to prevent the nomina-
ton of William ]. Bryan for the presidency
by the national dernncra t}c -.