The Springfield herald., 1900-05-25
TELEGRAPH ITEMS.


terian Church convened at st. Louis
on the 18th.
By the narrow margin of two votes,
the House decided against abolishing
the death penalty In Massachusetts.
The French government has deter
mined not to permit American militia
organizations to visit the Paris exposi-
ton in body.
Two girls were killed and several
persons injured in n fire at Chicago
which destroyed the Hotel Helene, on
Fifty-third street. -Four Of the Injured
will probably die
NJ. Ossterieth, Il wealthy yacht owner
at Antwerp, has dismissed his English
crew and has substituted Belgians.
to follow NJ. Osstereiths example by
way of venting their wrath because of
the Transyaal war.
No small political sensation has been
created at New York by the announce
ment that General Benjamin +. Tracy
will soon leave Senator L. 9. Platts
law firm. 1t is rumored also that Cen
eral Tracy and Senator Platt will sever
their long standing political relations.
The emigrants who sailed from Bre-
men this year between the months Of
January and April numbered 31,96S.
Last year the number was only 10000,
while In 1898 1t was 23OO0. The emf
grants who sniled for Brazil and Ar
gentina this year up to the end OF
April numbered only 310.
AS result of the Mountaineering
lish episode, the Municipal League Will
hold mass meeting Saturday evening
ito protest against the attempt upon
the part of high city officials to restrict
the right of free speech and free criti-
cism by threats to use official power IN
an assault upon private character.
A three-candle power incandescent
lamp has been perfected by Thomas A.
Edison, Jr., the use of which, 1t is
claimed, will prevent colliery disasters.
Application has been made to James II.
Broderick, chief of the bureau of mines
of Pennsylvania, to order the use of
the Edison system in place Of oil and
gasoline lamps.
The Shanghai correspondent of the
London Express sends n sensational
message regarding the revolutionary
temper Of the southern China prov
inces, into which 10000 Mauser rifles
were recently imported. Mandarins,
he says, are joining the movement
fire the train at any moment
The relations between the Transvaal
and the Portuguese appear to be
strained. The Portuguese consul ut
Pretoria, according to reports from
Lisbon, has been ordered by President
Krueger to leave the country. The
Portuguese declaration making food
and clothing contraband has nearly
destroyed the usefulness of DelagOa
bay to the Transvaal.
The forty-siXth annual meeting of
the Western Unitarian conference be
gan at Chicago on the 18th and will
continue until Thursday night. The
conference belongs to the American
Unitarian Association. 1t includes the
churches In the states of Illinois, Min
nesotn, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebras-
ka, the Dakotas, Missouri, Ohio and
Kentucky, numbering 100, and with
a membership of 25,OU.
The most efficient officers of the In
spection service have been detailed to
conduct the inquiry into the Cuban
postoffice affair. The list includes Cap
tain William B. Smith, inspector In
charge of the Washington division of
postoffice inspectors, NJ. G. Fosnes, in
spector of the Philadelphia division,
and @. NJ. Waters of the Denver divi-
sion. They will have rs assistants one
or two field inspectors, and will pro-
ceed to Cuba at once.
The budget committee of the German
reichstag has concluded the debate on
the navy bill, after deciding that the
measure Is to come in force simultan-
eously with the amendments to the
stamp law and the customs tariff pro-
ylding the means for the increased ma
val expenditures. The committee also
resolved that should the naval esti-
mates exceed the 54.GO0OOO marks thus
provided, the excess must not be COW
cred by indirect taxation.
English insurance companies did
business In the United States in 1899
ut loss Of approximately $3,OOO,OOO.
Their premium receipts aggregated
$3S, ,SOO,O7O, while their losses and ex-
penses amounted to SAL ,995, ,S35. The
percentage of deficit was seven and
one-half-the heaviest In the history
of British underwriting In America
for the last quarter century. The
companies complain of the high taxes
levied upon them in America.
The treasury agents In Boston think
they unearthed one of the greatest
schemes to defraud the customs that
has ever been turned up. The facts
have come out with the seizure by
Special Agent Bum of 100 sacks of
wool valued at $4,000. The seized
wool was gathered up in Boston, in
Lawrence, Mass, and in Bristol II. l.
The special say that as near as they
can estimate $4,000 worth of wool
has been smuggled into the country
through the port of Boston during the
last year.
The decree of the Supreme Court of
Mexico affirming the claim of Mrs.