davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

Denver, Colo, Nov. ia great gath
ering of people of all classes, parties
and denominations was held at the
First Baptist church in this city yes
terday to condemn the torture of John
Porter, who was burned to death at
Lmon by mob of Infatuated citizens
in revenge for his horrible crime In
ravishing and numbering little Louise
Frost. G. NJ. Hobbs of the Y, NJ. @.
A. presided.
Among the speakers and those taking
part in the meeting were Governor o.
S. Thomas, Mayor johnson, Joel f.
Vale, Rev. r. II. Coyle of the Central
Presbyterian church, Rev. ID. N. Beach
Of the First Congregational church,
Rev. G. b. Vosburg of the First Bap-
fist church, Rev. John ii. Houghton
and others.
The following resolutions were adopt
ed:
1--WE, citizens of Denver and COlora-
do, in mass meeting this day assem-
bled, desire to express to the world our
horror and detestation of the crime
committed in the burning alive of the
negro, Porter.
1.-THE crime of which the negro him
self was guilty is one which cannot
be adequately characterized, and In the
presence of such n crime every heart
stands appalled,. This crime, however,
was the act of one man, and good citl-
zens may honestly differ as to the most
effective means by which such evil
minded persons may be adequately
punished or restrained. However
much the negro by his crime merited
death, no such crime can justify re-
course to barbaric methods of punish
ment Wherein can the spirit which
impels men to visit such retribution
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

Washington, Nov. 17.-Minister WI
has received from Director General
Sheng the following cablcgram:
"An imperial decree of November
18th deprives Prince Tuan and Prince
Chwang of their ranks and offices and
orders them to be imprisoned for life;
Prince Ylh and secondary Prince Wing
to be imprisoned; Secondary Prince
Lien to be deprived of his rank; Duke
Ian and Wing Men to be degraded in
rank; Kang vi being dead, no penalty
can be imposed upon him; and Chao
Shu Chiao to he degraded, but retain
office; Yu Hsien TO be exiled to the
farthest boundary"
The Chinese officials mentioned in the
decree are among the highest in Chi
ma and comprise most. if not all, of
those against whom the powers de
manded rigorous punishment. Prince
Tuan stands ut the head of the anti
foreign and Boxer movement. The 9th
ers mentioned We're Tuans active as
sociates. The punishment of Prince
Tuan means that his son, the heir ap-
parent. can never be Emperor.
The edict also makes the early open
ing of formal peace negotiations prob
able.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23


Commissioner of Navigation Chamber
lain, made public to-day. says the past
fiscal year has been the most prosper
Gus period known to American ship
ping for some years. Returns for the
current fiscal year promises an even
more satisfactory condition.
For the first time since the Civil War
the documented tonnage of the United
States exceeds 5,OOO,0O0 gross tons.
June 30, 1900, American documented
tonnage comprised 1888 vessels of
5,164 $40 gross tons, an increase of 3Oo,-
900 tons over the previous years. Our
maximum tonnage was 5,539,Slo tons
in 1861. Our shipping, the report adds,
in 1861, was larger than previous and
nearly eQualed the British empires.
British shipping now amounts to H.
261, 600 gross tons. American vessels
are almost wholly confined to the coast
ing trade, which employed last year
1888, 145 tons, or more than the total
tonnage of Germany and France. Our
tonnage in the foreign trade was only
SIG, 1916 tons, and carried last year only
8 per cent. of our exports and imports.
A century ago. American shipping reg
iStered for foreign trade was 669,021
tons, while this tonnage now in thir-
teen original states amounts to 4S2,0O1
tons
The report says that by reason of Sc
rious competition with foreign nations
in the ocean-carrying trade we are
practically restricted to 81 registered
steamships of over 1000 tons, aggre-
eating 260,325 tons. Single foreign
steamship corporations own greater
tonnage. Japan has eighty-three ocean
steamships of over 1000 tons, aggre-
I'll
steamships we have 125 registered
square rugged sail vessels, over 1000
tons each. for the deep sea trade. More
than half of these are over twenty
years old, and as such vessels disap
pear their places are not supplied by
construction.
Our tonnage is distributed as follows:
Between the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
2,127 1872 gross tons; great lakes, 1855,
,58T tons; Pacific coast. including Ha-
wall, 612,904 tons; Mississippi and trib-
utary rivers, 25S,15 tons.
The increase in our shipping during
the decade was 74O,342 tons, of which
1S4,5 tons was on the Pacific coast
and was due mainly to Alaskan and
Hawaiian trade. The effective carry
ing power of the worlds merchants
fleets has increased sixty per cent.
The most notable change in the
worlds shipping has been in the size
of steamships. In 1890. there were
lips ocean steamships of 1000 tons or
over, while now $50 such steamships,
aggregating 5,600.O00 tons, constitute
one-fourth of the worlds steam ton
mage. Increased speed. though great,
has been less noteworthy.
Concentration of the worlds ship
owning has been notable The thirty
principal steamship companies of the
world own 1000 steamships, or one
fourth in tonnage and more than one
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
G.. A. R. ENCAMPMENT
RATE STILL OPEN

Denver, Colo, Nov. 10.-It is denied
by railroad officials In Denver that the
Western Passenger Association has
acted adversely on the request for a
cent mile rate for the G. A. II. Ma
tional Encampment at Denver.
In connection with this statement
was the report that George ii. Heat
ford, formerly passenger agent OF the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul road
had been actively opposed to the low
rate. Not willing to be misrepresented,
Mr.. Heafford has written the follow
ing letter for publication:
Chicago, Nov. Is, 190O.-My atten-
ton has been called to items recently
was general passenger agent Of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul rail-
way / worked against the efforts of
Denver to secure n one cent per mile
railway excursion rate for the Grand
Army of the Republic in 1901. The
genial liar who made this statement to
the newspaper reporters undoubtedly
belongs to some road competitive with
the Milwaukee, and his memory Is
bad. For had severed my connection
with the c., NJ. & st. p. railway long
before | could have been afforded an
opportunity to even express an opinion
on the question of transportation rates
or the selection of Il place for the next
grand encampment.
although | am now out of railway
service and must pay fare when
traveD, 1t is my understanding that all
roads leading to Denver are members
of one or more hide-bound passenger
associations. and to those associations
must be submitted the question of eX-
cursion fares and arrangements before
any road can take action.
Il have no authority to speak for the
present general passenger agent of the
c., NJ. n st. p. railway, but 1 believe
he thinks-as l do-that the railroads
of this country can and should give the
old soldiers reasonably low excursion
rates, whether the encampments be
held in Denver. Cleveland or Oshkosh.
Being an old soldier myself l am in
favor of railroad fare of one cent a
mile, or less Of the railroads can afford
it,, with no free passes or dead-head
tickets for. Grand Army officials. If
any one is to be carried free, let 1t be
the private soldiers-the men behind
the guns. / hope Denver will entertain
the boys in blue in 1901, and will see
that we do not return home penniless
because of 'over-taNation' by railroads,
hotels, boarding houses. theaterS, hack
drivers, bar rooms and other places and
things. Yours truly.
GEORGE ii. HEAFFORD."
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

Denver, Colo, Nov 17.-John Porter
was burned to death last night at Ii
mon, in Lincoln county, on the spot
where Just week before he assaulted
and murdered little Louise Frost.
A Republican special from Limon
says:
1.-THE father of his victim dictated
the form of punishment, touched the
match to the kerosene soaked pyre,
and when Porter was breathing his
last words, it was Frost who asked
the crowd to keep still that he might
hear every word.
1.-THE burning of Porter was n horror
that equaled the crime. The details eN-
coed the Imagination of anyone who
had not seen them.
"The negro arrived in Limon at $3.50
o'clock, having been put on the Union
Pacific train at Magnolia. lie was in
car at the end of the train with Sher-
if Freeman, Deputy Bcistline, Deputy
Harper of Gilbert county and about a
dozen newspaper men. Robert Frost,
the father of the child, was in another
car of the same train with DIR. Bass.
"After the crowd visited the trains
in vain last night there was "A growing
feeling that the promise merely to
hang the negro was vacated by the
failure to deliver him. Until morning
the leaders of the crowd who counseled
moderation argued with the men. Ear
ly this morning, finding themselves I'M
able to stem the tide. they left the city.
At 1 o'clock this afternoon meeting
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
RAVISHER AND MURDERER
BURNED AT THE STAKE

was called, which about sixty men at
tended. Two-thirds of them We're the
same who attended last nights meet
ing. Recruits We're outspoken advo-
Gates of making an awful example OF
the negro"
The train was stopped at Lake, ncaI
the scene of the crime, by lynchers
who had bought tickets to that place
Sheriff Freeman, who had the prisoner
in charge, was Overpowered and re.
volvers held at his head while Porter
was taken from the car.
The stake at which Porter was
burned was a piece of steel rail, about
ten feet long, set upright in the ground,
to which he was clumsily chained.
Nearly 500 people were present and
vote was taken as to whether the
negro should be burned or put to dealt
in some other way. The crowd di-
vided into two parties by stepping
east and west and the great majority
was for burning. A great pile of boards
were heaped around him and saturated
with coal oil.
All this was done deliberately and
without haste, occupying n good deal
of time. Porter was mostly silent and
seemed to be trying to pray.
Finally Robert Frost, the father OF
the boys victim. applied match to
the kerosene, which at first failed to
light, requiring second match. and
Porter, the siXteen-year-old ravisher
and murderer, was slowly burned to
DEATH
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

q. A, X. Special Rate Refused,

Denver, Colo, Nov. 1.-THE Western
Passenger Association, mt its meeting
in Chicago yesterday, refused to au-
thorize n rate of / cent per mile for the
G. A. X. encampment scheduled to be
held in Denver next August. This de-
cision does not necessarily mean that
the encampment will be taken from
Denver, although Cleveland is work
ing to secure it.
The same question Will come up be-
fore the Transcontinental Passenger
association ut its meeting in st. Louis
within few days.
Denver was selected as the place for
the encampment next August at the
meeting in Chicago following the en-
campment this year. The special com
mittee recommended that rate of /
cent mile be made by the railroads.
George ii. Healford, then general pas
senger agent of the Chicago, Milwau-
iee x st. Paul, combatted the 1 cent
per mile proposition. Cleveland took
advantage of this to urge its claim for
the encampment and the delegation of
the Ohio town has kept the subject
stirred up and had delegation in COM
mittee in Chicago TO appear before the
Western Passenger Association and
combat the / cent mile scheme.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
GREAT DENVER MASS.MEETING
CONDEMNS BURNING OF PORTER

upon a criminal differ from that which
melted Indians to practice similar tor
lures for centuries before the advent
Of the Christian civilization, or from
that which marked the fearful execu-
tons Of ancient Rome?
"WerecogniZe the usual orderly char
acter of the people Of Limon and VI
cinty. We appreciate the fact that
their act was the result of excitement
and passion, which overturned their
reason and Judgment But we must,
nevertheless, express our adherence OF
the extreme measures to which they
resorted, and we protest to the world
that their course of procedure Is not
for one moment countennnced by the
sober Judgment of the intelligent and
representative citizens Of Denver and
Colorado.
"This is not the time or the occasion
to censure either our laws or our Of
flcers of justice, but it is our solemn
hope that effective punishment will
speedily by law be enacted for crimes
of the class which melted this tor
ture; that officers of justice will here
after render resort to lynch law i'm
possible in our state: and that In
time to come any citizen of Colorado
infiicting torture like this, no matter
under what provocation, shall be
brought to speedy and adequate pun
ishment.
"Fnally we desire to record our
Judgment that vengeance is not the end
of penal suffering. No crime justifies
crime Deeds of this sort brutaliZe hu-
mainly rs with savages and with an
cient Rome. Processing to make an
awful example they are themselves n
far more awful example"
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
Lafe Pence Back From Nome.

Seattle, WASH, Nov. 1.-THE steam
er Oregon arrived from Nome yester
day with 145 passengers and 100000
in treasure. The Oregon was com
PEELED on account of severe storm just
prior to her departure to put to sea,
leaving seventy-tive of her booked pas
sengers on the beach. Arrangements
We're made to bring them down on thu
Centennial which was to leave Nome
n day or two later.
Among the Oregon's passengers were
Charles ID. Lane, the California mil
lionaire; eX-Congressman LATE Pence
of Colorado, and several well-known
Seattle men.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
EMPEROR WILLIAM ATTACKED
BY A WOMAN ASSASSIN

the Emperor took in returning from the
barracks to the depot after luncheon
The news of the attempt on the
Kaiser made n great sensation here. II
was first reported on the bourse, where
the market weakened
The evening papers printed the de
tails in double loaded type. All &c
counts agree that the woman is de
meneted 1t seems that she appeared
this morning in the Breslau court in
lunacy proceedings against herself, car
rying an axe. which did not attract spe-
cial attention. The case being post
poned, she Went directly to see the pro
cession, carrying the axe under her
cloak.
There is considerable conflict in the
various reports of the incident. Pri
vate dispatches differ from the official
kilograms. The former say that the axe
or Ratchet, which was sharply ground,
struck n spoke in the hind wheel and
then fell Another report says the
woman stopped to try to get the axe
again.
When arrested, and on the way to the
police station, she repeatedly ex-
claimed: He ordered me to do it. He
ordered me to do It,"
Berlin. Nov 1T.-While the attack on
the Kaiser may not have formed any
part of an international plot, there is
no doubt that unusual anarchist activi-
ty is developing in various countries OF
Europe, and that the police are taking
exceptional precautions against 1t.
The entire line of railway from Buda-
pest to Goeboelloo, where is situated
the palace of Emperor Francis Joseph,
is guarded by special police, thing
which was never done before.
Otto Albrecht, editor of the Neues
Lenien, an anarchist paper published
in Berlin, was arrested to-day In the
suburbs of Aldershof.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

South Bend. Ind, Nov. 19.-The sac
risty at the University of Notre Dame
was damaged by fire to the extent of
$4,000. The fire was the fourth to oc-
cur In the institution since the first of
the year and that its most important
buildings We're not destroyed is due to-
to a downpour of rain and the heroic
work of the students. who aided the
firemen. The students We're at devo-
ton when the flames We're discovered
and all filed out of doors in an orderly
manner without anyone being hurt.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

Molten wood is new invention by
Mr.. De Gall, inspector OF forests at
Lemur. France By means of dry dis
tillation and high pressure the escape
of developing gases is prevented
thereby reducing the wood to a mott
en- condition. After cooling off the
mass assumes the character of coal
yet without showing trace of the
organic structure of that material
This new body is hard. but can be
shaped and polished at will; ia i'm
pervious to water and acids, and is
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

The aggregate investments Of the
United States life insurance companies
exceed twelve hundred million dollars
This would suffice to pay the national
debt, and the debts OF several states
besides; but it is more pleasing, some
how, to think OF the private burdens
which, distributed widely and in com
paratively small amounts, this great
fund will remove. Uncle Sam is
neither "A widow nor an orphan.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

News comes from Danish West In
dies that a species of grasshopper,
hitherto unknown in the island. has
made its appearance in st. Croix, and
the planters complain of the damage
done to the canes. 1t is feared it is
similar to that which made its appear
ance some time ago in Cuba and was
supposed to have been brought over
in hay imported from the United
States.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

Breslau, Nov. 17.--Emperor William
was the object of an attempted out
rage to-day, which. however, failed. AS
he was driving in an open carriage to
the Cuirassier barracks, accompanied
by the hereditary prince of SaNe-Mein-
niger, n woman in the crowd hurled an
axe at the carriage. The rapidity with
which the vehicle was passing saved
its occupants.
The woman was Immediately arrest
ed. Her name is Selma Schnapke. She
occupied Il place in the front rank of
the spectators on the side furthest
from the Emperor.
The axe, it now appears, struck the
carriage. a crowd of people who wit
messed the outrage threw themselves
on her, but the prompt Intervention of
the police saved the woman from in
jury.
The assailant is n tradeswoman of
Breslau 1t is said she threw the
Ratchet because she was turned out of
her house by her landlord. A provis-
ional medical examination of the pris-
oner has been made and she has been
pronounced insane
While Emperor William was return
ing from the barracks 10 the railroad
station he was chccrcd by immense
crowds of people gathered along the
route.
Berlin, Nov. 17.-According to most
reports, Emperor William did not no.
tice the incident, but a Breslau paper
says he saw what had happened and
turned very pale, but continued to
greet the bystanders pleasantly.
According to ii special to the Lokal
Anzeiger, his majesty was apparently
In a serious mood after the incident"
The entire Breslau garrison was i'm
mediately alarmed and drawn up in
line on both sides of the route which
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

new federation is in prospect. II
is rumored that following upon the
formation of the Australian common
wealth the long-talked-of federation
of the British West Indies is to become
an accomplished fact The imperial
government is credited with the inten-
ton of welding the whole of the Lee
ward and WIndward islands into one
confederation. with Barbados as the
seat of government
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23
AMERICAN SHIPPING INTERESTS
SHOW A PROSPEROUS YEAR

| quarter in carrying power OF the
worlds ocean steamships. OF these
only nine of the 1000 ton class, owned
by the International Navigation Com
pany, are American.
| 1t is estimated that during 1899 the
i gross earnings of steam and sail ves-
sells in the foreign carrying trades Of
all nations amounted to S1OO,OOO,OOO-
The export trade of the United States
requires about twenty per cent. Of the
worlds aggregate tonnage Of the
steamships.
The problem of ocean transportation
at this time, the report says, is essen
TALLY one of transportation by steel
screw steamships. The purposes to
which wooden fore and aft vessels and
steel square rugged vessels are adapt
ed are important, but restricted. The
Suez canal reduced opportunities for
sail vessels and the Nicaragua canal,
1t is said, will further reduce them.
In the past ten years Great Britain
has built APIS steel steamers of o.
937 600 tons. while the United States
has built 465 steel steam vessels OF
743 600 tons, of which 1913 Of 100000
tons were built on the great lakes. Our
entire construction for the decade Ia
much more than half of Great Britain's
output of 100000 tons during 1899.
We have built for the foreign trade
since 1890 only twenty-four steel
steamships of 10000 tons. and Of this
total eleven steamships of $1,000 tons
We're built as mail steamers under the
postal subsidy acts.
Comparisons are made with foreign
subsidies to fast steamships, which ag
gregate S2O,OO0.OOO annually, and the
report holds that the subsidies pro-
posed for similar American steamships
are not more than adequate to secure
American ocean mail lines to the great
continents equivalent to those of Great
Britain, Germany and France. In the
past sixty years Great Britain and her
colonies have spent over S240.OO0,OOO
for British ocean mail steamships.
On the basis of foreign voyages actu-
ally made by American vessels aggre-
eating SO9,OOO gross tons. during the
year 1899, the report says the expendi-
lures under the Senate subsidy bill
would have been S2.9O7 900. and under
the House bills $2.790,OOO. Details and
estimates show that. with the addition
al shipping eligible. the cost during the
first year of the bills operation would
be about S4,5OO,OOO. The maximum of
5000, 600 it is said, probably would be
attained during 19O4-5, when reduc-
ton of subsidy rates would be neces-
sary. BY that time the building of
100000 tons of ocean steamships and
the necessary increase in number and
extent of our shipyards, the report, de
clares, would have materially reduced
the cost of shipbulding in the United
States, compared with Great Britain
and Germany. Under the bill, in five
years, American steamships in foreign
trade, it is stated. would doubtless
reach 100000 tons and sail vessels
65O,OOO tons, sufficient to carry about
one-third of our ocean trade.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

An American who visited the Paris
exposition thinks its failure to realize
expectations was due to two things.
1t was not sufficiently localized and
its magnificent distances made people
weary. The other trouble was disap-
pointing with what had been announc
ed as some of the biggest features, like
the telescope that was to bring the
image of the moon within few miles
The visitor says the show resolved it
self into Sunday afternoon parade.
The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1900-11-23

This is an age of freedom in dress
and appearance. The story books of
our grandparents spoke of the eccen.
tricity of man who allowed beard
to grow on his face. OF twenty-five
contributors to new encyclopedia,
whose portraits have been recently
published, all but five are strangers to
the razor. The familiar group of por-
traits of our Presidents shows no we'll
bearded man until Abraham Lincoln's
time. The three military Presidents,
Grant, Hayes and Garfield. each wore
a full beard. Both of the leading Pres
idental candidates to-day are closely
shaven. Although the present fashion
chiefly of young men is that of a
smooth face, the fashion is not impera-
tive. Every man may follow 1t or defy
it without being queer.