davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY.
Jury Find II. o. soper Guilty of Swim
ding Farmers,


ding Farmers.
Washington, Oct. a.--"Guilty as per
Indictment was the verdict brought
in against H. o. Soper by the jury on
the "None-such'' washer case, and
Judge Withrow has raised Sopers
bond from $500 to $4,000. This case
has been before the court of this dis
trict in one way and another three
different times, and is one that has
gained wide reputation throughout
this and adjoining states. Some few
years ago party of men came
through this section selling the "None-
such" washer, which was new inven-
ton of their own. The price of a
washer was S.. They also sold to
several persons for the sum of ST 900
each the right to sell washers and
rights to others. Not few bought
these rights and mortgaged their
homes to pay for them, and, needless
to say, some of them lost their homes
in the deal. One of these individuals
prosecuted and lost his case. So
things ran along until by the agita-
ton of the men interested and their
attorneys, an Indictment was secured
by the state against ii. o. Soper, one
of this party. Two of the washer
men, G. b. Snow and G.. M. Wright,
We're known to be somewhere in Ne
braslla, and they We're arrested and
placed under bond. The trial result
ed as above.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
THE NEWS In IOWA.
LETTERS FROM PEKING.
Mrs. Conger and Miss Pierce Write
Friends In Des Moines.

ID d . = : I
Mrs. Conger and Miss Pierce Write to
Friends In Des Moines.
Des Moines, Sept. as.-Letters have
been received in Des Moines from Mrs
E. H. Conger and Miss Mary Pierce,
wife and niece of the American min
lister to China, Edwin H. Conger, of
Des Moines, and who, with him, went
through the entire siege at Picking,
which began early in June and lasted
for two months. The letters are rather
in the form of diaries, telling the
heart rending story of those terri
BILE days as the events of it happened.
The wonderful bravery, courage and
self-sacrifice of the women maintains
the standard by Which they have al
ways been measured by their friends.
and is exceedingly gratifying. The
stories they tell are those of partici-
pants to the terrible strife, the horri-
BILE anxiety, the hopelessness and DIES
peration of situation almost unbear-
able, the dread of fate worse than
death for savages, not men, besieged.
Yet cheerfulness and resignation per-
vades these historical letters, for, had
panic once been permitted to show
its head, hope would have entirely
vanished. The besieged We're reduced
to the necessity of eating horse flesh
but the terrors of an ordinary siege
which civilized warfare suggests are
are nothing compared with the ter
rors of a siege. in which savages, bar
barians, pagans are assaulting Chris
tians.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
THREE MEN KILLED.
Disastrous Freight Wreck on the Bur-
lington, Near Creston.

Disastrous Freight Wreck on the Bur-
lington, Near Creston.
Creston, Oct. LIN head-on col
lision between two burlington freight
trains ten miles east of Creston two
trainmen and tramp We're killed
and the other trainmen more or less
injured, but none seriously. The
dead are: Peter McAloon of Ottumwa,
an engineer; Lyman Sprowl of Cres-
ton, fireman, and Tom O'Brien of
Chicago, who was tramp. First
~ had reached Alton and had
stopped. The second section rushed
through the station at full speed
and coiidcd with an extra coming
west. The wreck took place on a
sharp curve and the men had no time
to jump. McAloon was buried under
car of wheat. Fireman Sprowl was
caught between the engine and ten
der. He leaves wife. McAloon
leaves a wife and seven children.
Fifteen head of cattle were killed.
The wreck was the worst that has
occurred for many years on the west
end division. Three cars of stock,
two of corn and one of wheat were
wrecked. Both engines were demol-
ished. 1t is a question as to whether
Engineer McAloon saw the block sig
nal at Alton, if it was displayed and
as to this there is dispute.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04

AND FIFTEEN ARE INJURED.
accident Happens Fifteen Miles soath Of
Guthrie. o. T.-smoker Turns Upside
Down with . Crash Rails Spreading
Cause Disaster.

+. 4 . y ! ! & II
Guthrie, o. T.. Oct. 2.The north
bound through passenger train for
Kansas City on the Santa Fe road, due
here at 4:40 O'clock p. M, was wrecked
at Waterloo, flag station fifteen
miles south of here. and two passeng-
ers were killed and fifteen were more
or less injured.
The killed are Thomas Mayer, Ok
lahoma City; Edmund Rock, Jonaha,
Texas.
The most seriously. injured are:
James Black. of Jonaha, Texas, arm
broken;e Edward H. Cook Of Oklahoma
City, president of the National bank,
badly cut about the head, and back in
jured; James Vanderver of Ray coun-
ty, Missouri, arm badly crushed, and
his 9-year-old grandson. Roy, had his
chest injured; probably fatal; G. T.
Smith of Texas: hurt about head and
body; J. S. Lyons of Guthrie, shoulder
dislocated; George H. Willis. Guthrie.
head cut and one ear almost torn off
John Wilkin, Chicago, cut by glass;
R. Artman of Ray county, Missouri,
bruised about the body; Thomas O'Neil
of Derby, Kan, injured about head
The train left Oklahoma City forty
five minutes late. and was running at
the rate of forty miles an hour, when
Engineer John Rain felt jar and
found that the trucks of the tender
had been broken. He reversed his en-
CINE and attempted to slow up the
train. In few seconds the baggage
and express and mail cars were OFF,
the track, and moment later the
smoker was forced into the air by the
momentum of the train behind 1t
toppled over and turned upside down
with crash. The day coach follow
ing left the track. and then the whole
train came to standstill.
Thomas Mayer, a hardware sales
man from Oklahoma City. was hurled
to the roof with terrific force, and his
skull was fractured. He was killed in
stantly.
Edmund Rock. cattle buyer from
Jonah. Williamson county, Texas, was
hurled half the length of the car, and
after being taken out started to walk,
but fell over and died in few minutes
from internal injuries.
John Wilkin of Chicago was cut by
glass. The injured were taken to Ed
mund and to this city as soon as poss-
ible. The accident was caused by the
rails spreading.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
HOWARD MUST DIE.
Goebel's Slayer Guilty of Murder
81 the First Degree.

Gosbers Slayer Guilty of Murder in
the First Degree.
Frankfort, KY, Sept. 27.-The jury
IN the case of Jim Howard, charged
with being the principal in the assas-
sination of Goebel, returned a YER
dict of guilty, fixing the penalty at
death. Howard was apparently the
most unconcerned man in the room
when the verdict was announced, dis
playing not the least sign of agita-
tion. One of the jurors, after they
had been discharged, stated to the
Associated Press that number of
ballots were taken, but the first re-
suited in unanimous vote in favor
OF q verdict of guilty. After that
the ballots We're as to the degree of
punishment, ten members voting for
the death penalty, two for life i'm
prisonment. After the verdict had
been returned Howard was remanded
to jail. His cheeks blanched as he
started to accompany the iailer back
to his cell. The jury which tried the
case was divided Politically, nine
democrats, one republican, two anti
Goebel democrats.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
CONNER GETS THE PLUM.
Denison Man Named for Congress
Succeed DOlljyer

henson man Named Tor Congress to
Succeed Deliver.
Fort Dodge, Sept. 27.-Jutlge j. p.
Conner of Denison was nominated for
congressman of the Tenth district on
the Goth ballot. The total vote was
153, with Sc for Conner, whose
strength was divided as follows: CAL
houn IL, Crawford IL, Emmett G.,
Greene 10, Humboldt z, Kossuth IA,
Pocahontas 9, Webster s. Kossuth
voted valiantly for lngham until the
full Conner strength had been record
ed and cast the deciding vote, closely
followed by Pocahontas with its nine.
Webster, which had on the first bal
lot today delivered to Conner, cinch-
ed the Conner nomination. The choice
was made unanimous. James p. Con-
ner was born in Delaware county,
Indiana, in 1851, and moved to Black
hawk, Iowa, in 1854. He was edu-
Gated in the Upper Iowa University
and commenced the practice of law
at Denison in 1878. In 1875 he was
married to Allie NJ Cowdery. Mr..
Conner was elected district attorney
in 1880, judge of the circuit court in
1884 and judge of the Sixteenth dis
trict in 1886.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
END SEEMS APpRoAcH1NG.
Miners Strike Likely to be Ended in a
Few DAYS.

New York, Sept. 29.-The Herald
says: One of the men who partici-
pated in the plans for the settlement
of the anthracite coal miners strike
and is familiar with all the facts and
attendant circumstances said, in an
interviews:
''rhe rumor that negotiations look
ing to the settlement of the strike are
off is untrue. My belief is that the
strike will come to an end sometime
early next week. 1t win not be ended
by a blare of trumpets or by sweep
ing general orders, but by the men
quietly going to work in colliery after
colliery. day after day, at the 10 per
cent advance. There is no inclination
to recognize Mitchell IN any way, but
as a matter of fact the miners really
pue 'eoueApe 4ueo lad OF qua eAlss9p
they probably would have obtained
it anyhow when the question first
came up if so many members of the
different boards of directors of the.
mining companies had not been away
81 their vacations. -
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
TO occupy Forbidden city.

Pekin, Sept. "A, via Taku, Oct. l.
Prince Ching has addressed notes to
the ministers acknowledging their
letter suggesting that the court re-
turn to Pekin. He announces that he
has dispatched a memorial covering
the subject to the dowager empress.
1t is practically determined that
Count Van Waldersee shall occupy
one of the imperial palaces in the for
hidden city when he arrives, and a
large portion of the German army
will be quartered there. There is a
complete revival of the former policy
to protect the forbidden city. The
Americans disapprove of this but will
not enter a protest.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
WENT DOWN EMBANKMENr.
Train Wrecked Few Miles South of
Tacoma


Ottumwa, Oct. 2-The third wreck
on the Iowa division of the Burling-
ton occurred few miles south OF
Lacona on the Charlton and 1ndianola
branch. One passenger was killed and
number We're more or less injured
The dead: B. r. Wellcher of Milo;
the injured, Miss Maggie A. Kidd of
Richland, Iowa, serious injury about
the head; Roy NJ. Culbertson of Dan
vers, ILL.,, slightly injured in back of
head; James Kersey or Amo, Ind, in
iured in the head; Miss Spurgeon of
Orient, Iowa, right knee and limb
bruised; r.. M. Mead of Milo, Iowa,
left wrist, back and head injured;
George Bruce of Corydon, Iowa, back
injured.
The train was No. 1876, northbound
passenger, and consisted of the en-
CINE, baggage car and one passenger
coach. The entire train was precipi-
tated down an embanlment. The
wreck is supposed to have been due to
rail turning. Brakeman Vance was
the only one of the crew injured, and
he escaped with slight bruises. There
We're twenty passengers in the coach
The killed and injured were removed
to Charlton.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
NEWS in GENERAL
PusIsHrsG CHINESE LEApERs.
Four Anti-Foreign Princes, Including
Tuan, Are Degraded,

Tuan, Are Degraded.
Washington, Oct. 1.-Important
news has come from China which in
itself tends to advance materially the
efforts for a final settlement. China
has accepted the suggestion of the
United States contained in the answer
to the German proposition and has
begun voluntarily the punishment of
the reactionary Chinese leaders who
were responsible for the Pekin out
RACES.
Consul Goodnow, at Shanghai, in
forms the state department that the
Chinese director of railways and tele-
graphs has handed him a decree of
the emperor and empress blaming
their ministers for encoura cling the
Boxers. The edict orders the degra-
dation of four princes and deprives
Prince Tuan of his salary and official
servants. He is to be brought for
trial before imperial clan court. III
decree recited by Sheng is felt to be
of the utmost Importance as indica-
ting complete change of heart on
the part of the reigning dynasty. 1t
means that the reactionary influences
which have been dominant in Pekin
throughout the uprising and have
even continued of late days, have sllf-
fered a complete overthrow, and that
their most conspicuous figures are
degraded and on trial. 1t is believed
here that if this action is genuine it
will be hard for any of the powers to
find a reasonable preteSt for longer
refusing to heed the appeals of the
Chinese government for the opening
OF negotiations looking to settle
ment.
The Importance of the action is
shown by the determination to try
Prince Tuan before the imperial clan
court. This is the supreme judicial
tribunal of China and is the only one
having jurisdiction over the members
of the imperial family.
High Oficers Degraded.
Washington, Oct. 2.-Mr. WI, the
Chinese minister, has received official
confirmation of the issuance of an i'm
Perial decree degrading Prince Tuan,
kang Vi and other officials for their
action in regard to the recent troubles
in China. This information agrees
with that contained in dispatch re-
ceived by the state department from
Consul McWade at Canton.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Broker Cottrell a Suicide,

New York, Oct When Edwin
Cottrell, once the heaviest plunger in
the wheat pit, killed himself in Gem
trail park by swallowing carbolic acid,
he was following precedent estab-g
lished by his brother, I. D. Cottrell of
Chicago. Less than two months after
losing 100000 on the Chicago Board
of Trade in disastrous wheat specula-
tons T. D. Cottrell tried to commit,
suicide. He came within an ace Of
succeeding and has not yet fully re-;
covered. Both men had been wealthy.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
MRS. coNGER WRITES.
Letter Received BY a Sister Who lives

in Chicago.
Chicago, Sept. 29.-Mrs. Edwin II.
Conger, wife of the United States
minister in Picking, China, has writ
ten the following letter to her sister,
Mrs. j. S. Mcconnell of this city.
Picking, China, Aug. 16.--My Dear
Ones, All: We are alive and safe Our
troops arrived the 14th. o, what re-
joicing! What a. day! If you could
only have seen us you could realize
little the true feeling of the heart.
Heart spoke to heart.
We have been beseiged in the Brit
ish legation ever since the goth of
June and under fire day and night.
At times the battles would be terri
fic. 1t would seem that they We're
right upon us, but they were not.
''They tried to kill us with their
bullets and shell; then to burn us up;
then to blow us up with their mines,
and at last to starve us out. Nor is
this all. They kept laying traps to
get us to come out of our fortified
city with promises to escort us to
lien Tsin or to go to the tsungli-
yamen and be under their protection.
We did not listen to them
We ate horse meat and mule meat,
and it was good. We ate rice, rice.
rice, and it was good. will tell you
we We're grateful-we knew how to
be. For two days we killed dogs for
the Chinese converts.
"The night of the 18th was the most
terrific night of all. We were under
fierce and angry firing the night
through. They again opened up their
cannon upon us. 1t seemed as though
they would break through and come
down upon us. The Lell in the tower
tolled for every man to be at his
post, as general attack was being
made upon us.
81 cannot tell you how dreadful all
of this has been. The almighty hand
of God alone has saved u.s.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
BUILDING A NEW ROAD
Big Force at Work on the Milwaukee
Branch at Foater.

Foster, Sept. 2s.-Donald Jeffrey,
an extensive contractor, who has
been working for some time at Del
mar and Oxford Junction, has arrived
here with twelve car loads of horses,
scrapers, tents, etc, preparatory a
commencing work on the new rail
road that is to be built from Eos
ter to Hilton, distance of about
four miles. The road is to be built
by the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST. Paul
Railroad company. 1t is to run up
Soap creek most of the way. No
very heavy grading will be necessary,
consequently they expect to finish the
grading in sixty days. 1t is of great
Importance to Foster as we'll as the
Foster Coal company, as it joins the
c., M. & ST. p. with the Wabash and
Iowa Central.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
AMERICA LEADS.
Gets the Highest Number of Awards
At Paris Exposttion

Paris, Sept. as.-The jury of final
appeal in the exposition awards has
finished it's work. The statement
prepared for the United States com,
mission shows America received the
highest number of awards of any ma
ton save France. She also received
more awards i'll each classification
except grand prizes,7 in which Ger.
many secured the greatest number.
Figures, excepting for France, are
as follows:
Grand prizes-United States, a15:
Germany, 236; Russia, 200; Grea,
Britain, 1873.
Gold medals United States, SAT;
Germany, $40; Russia, BAG; Great
Britain, 3O6.
Silver medals-United States, 500.
Germany, SIS; Russia, Ali; Grea,
Britain, 40.
Bronze medals-United States, sol,
Germany, s21; Russia, 321; Greai
Britain, 40.
Honorable mention-United States
34s; Germany, 1874; Russia, 2O6:
Great Britain, 20s.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
strikers Engage In a Fight.

Scranton, Pa, Sept. 27-The first
blood shed which may be laid to the
miners strike in the Lackawanna re-
gion, was reported from Sibley, a min
ing settlement six miles from Scran-
ton. Three men were wounded, one
fatally, in row in which about
twenty revolver shots were fired. The
participants are all Italians, among
whom bad blood had existed for some
time. The men got into fight on the
roadway near Barberton with the
above result
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
ALIGNMENT OF POWERS
England, France, Russia, United statea
in OpposItion


Washington, Oct. 1.-The alignment
of the powers on the German propo
sition to make punishment of Chi
nese ringleaders condition prece.
dent to negotiations may now be
stated as follows:
Great Britain, Russia and France
stand with the United States in re,
garding this proposition as mex
pedient.
Japan occupies a middle attitude
She is willing to follow the German
lead if all other powers are agreeable
but only for the sake of preserving
harmony among the powers and no.
from a belief in the wisdom of the
German proposition.
Austria and Italy stand shoulde,
to shoulder with Germany, making
the dreibund solid front.
The first named powers do not at
tempt to argue the German PROPOSE
ton, and their answers make it APP
parent they have accepted it without
much consideration.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Alleged Theft Of CITY waite

Chicago, Sept 2e.-Four true bills
charging larceny of city water We're
voted against Superintendent Harry
Boore of the Continental packing COM
pany by the grand jury. Each of the
bills alleges a separate theft of water
through the four-inch Illicit main dug
up py Superintendent Nourse three
weeks ago-Aug. JIG, $4,000 gallons;
Aug. 20, 1S5,5oO gallons, Sept. 5, 1877
1886 gallons; Sept. II, $4,000 gallons.
The value of the water is quoted at 10
cents for each thousand gallons.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Bnrelars would Kun.

Denmark, Sept. 2s.-Burglars came
to the house of Thomas Taylor in
this city, and, arousing Mr.. and Mrs.
Taylor, demanded $50 in cash. When
Mr.. Taylor replied that there was
no money in the house, one of the
men fired shot through the window,
striking Mr.. Taylor in the arm, ser
iously but not fatally wounding him.
The burglars then disappeared and
no trace Of them can be discovered.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Iowa Cattle win.

Denison, Sept. 2s.-The W. A. Nc
Henry herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle
won great victory against the com
bined forces from the east and west
at the Illinois state fair, taking both
aged and young herd prizes, and seven
first and four second prizes. This es-
tablishes their premiership for the
year
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Pope Prai.ex America.

London, Oct. Archbishop Ireland,
WAC has arrived here from Rome, Oh
his way to the United States, in an
interview is quoted as saying:
In one of the audiences which he
granted me, the pope said: We are
well pleased with the relations of the
American government to the church
in Cuba and the. Philippines. The
American government gives proof of
good will and exhibits spirit of jus
tice and respect for the liberties and
rights of the church,"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Supposed Work of Tramp..

Independence, Sept. s-yandalism
and incendiarism occurred at the
high school building, supposed to be
the work of tramps. Books were
torn, pictures thrown down and gen.
eral destruction. A fire was set in
the basement and the building was
partially destroyed. Loss, about 3d.
600, fully insured. School will be
closed for six weeks
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Memento Sent to Sampson.

New York. Oct. IA historic flag,
which will recall the early life ofsRear,
Admiral Sampson, has been forwarded
to him by e. w. Hill of Port Chester.
This flag foated on the Potapsco, of
which Admiral Sampson was comman-
der. when it was sunk in the Dutch
Gap canal in 1862. The flag was res
cued after being under the water for
seven months by Prof. Benjamin Nal
liefort. father of Mrs. Hill. who was
major of engineers under Gen. B. F..
Butler 81
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
A wholesale slaughter by Russians.

London, Sept. 81. The Times prints
correspondence from Niu Chwang de-
claring that the Russians have Killed
indiscriminately between 1900 and
1000 Boxers and Chinese civilians,
men, women and children, both inside
and outside the walls. The cores
pondent adds that from all sides come
reports of the violation of women and
that the Russians are carrying out a
policy of destruction OF property and
the determination of the people in
Kai Chau. Nearly all the villages have
been burned and the inhabitants kill
ed. For some days, the correspondent
declares, the soldiery and Cossacks
have been allowed to do what they
like; and he thinks the annexation
of Manchuria is intended.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
ALLEGED HORSE THIEF CAPTURED
Supposed Leader of an Iowa Gang
Captured at Chelsea.

Grinnell, Oct 1.-The officers OF
Benton county are of the opinion
that they have just captured one of
a gang of horse thieves who have been
doing wholesale business in Benton
and neighboring counties. For, ,seve-
raj weeks horse stealing has become
SO notorious in that neighborhood
that this entire portion of Iowa be-
came terrorized. A few days ago
the officers at Belle Plain received no.
tice to be on the watch for motor
ious character named Jack Davis. who
had stolen horse at Watkins. Later
they discovered that the man had
gone to Chelsea, and telephoned to
the officers there to look out for and
arrest him. Davis was caught in the
act of selling another horse and bug
gy which he had stolen. Sheriff DIR
brought him to Belle Plaine. The
officers believe that through Davis
they may obtain clew that may
lead to the apprehension of others of
this gang.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-04
Di.astrou, Storm At sn.rn.

sharps, Sept. 27.-This place was
visited Tuesday evening by destruc-
tive storm. The estimated loss of
property is $4,000. No lives were
lost. Two churches, the depot, a gen
eral merchandise store and five resi-
sdences are total wrecks, and many
Others are badly twisted. The storm
came from the southwest.