Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-12-19

denied. He repaired theengine whichhad
been racked to pieces. The boilers We're
reset under his direction and the tlues
thoroughly cleaned for the first time iii
three years. The main steam pipe,
which had become a mere she'll and a
constant menace to the lives of the em-
ployes, was replaced. These matters,
however, did not concern the citizens of
Mayaguez. In the snort hours of the
day the citizens wondered what they
would 10 at night, and Van Praag.s
movements We're closely watched. They
Wondered what would happen next.
They had not long to wait. One Cue
vas, a prominent and unselfish citizen.
wsho a been delegated TO direct the
wood conspiracy and had periodically
accepted, VAS arrested and earned off
to San Juan, There he was taken into
count and asked to snow cause why he
should not be punished for contempt.
Before he had recovered from his sur
prize he vas sent to Jail for six Weeks
with Il dispatch which no alcalde in the
island had ever eaualed. The wood mar
ket at once became normal and the plant
Presumed operations.
The fate Of The patriotic Cuevas acted
as a deterrent for a little while and the
course OF t-hreat-making was resumed
with vigor as a means of filing the IN
~tervaI of iiactivity. One Of the citizens
remarked thai Van Fraag would soon
have a machete in his midst and the
plant would be blown up within a week.
Mr.. Van Praas took no steps to protect
his midst but a detail of soldiers at the
plant made the possibility of an explo-:
sion re!nDte Matters were getting very
duh. indced, when the citizens began
to cut wires and do what damage they
could to the exposed physical property
cennected with the plant. Ora morning
The citizens We're dumbfounded to learn
that DR.. Easora. president of the COM
nania, SECRETARY Neria. Treasurer Amiill
Land r. II. Dexter. the American attor-
hey, had all been arrested for conternpt
Sf curt. II VAS proved conclusively
that the sfiicers had vaid Daxter a *
tainer Of $3.50 after the preliminary re-
raining etier HAD bsea siIesl. Con-
stsrt atinr lfeiane5 agsin. H~siv#,cauid u
law-abiding citizen TIL TO what extent
sdlS yafeae would co. DsXter MAS e9s,l-
pe'lcl 10 assume the burden of the re-
spoa isility for tbs infraction of the
courts order and the Gt:artet Were raz
e3 only cr their prorpis So 10 pay back
the $3.50 within ten days. The moness
wss rsturned to Van Praag a week
later.
The Wire cutting continued ard eveyv
afternGcn that tlls press would work FL
Numerical The Mava~nez alnQst-daily.
Irin.ea q fsrce assault On the provision
al eontt and Judge Pettingill. As fo9
Van Praag. FL Impartial aeknoWledssl
H. 1 4 = x. ., ~ t&.1.t - - L. l.t-~ i-x 49,
who stole a csntayo was a robDer, bi:G
a man who stole an electric light pant
-C2r-fsraynba. t,lere was no word IN
thu Snarish language to describe him.
A harmless peon was arrested for c,lt-
tirg q wire. He was triad for contempt.
IT was as if the city was on trial.
Twentv-fve witnesses appeared to
swear that the respondent Had not cut
the wira ard FL Tmparcial: whose press
was n good running order at tho tire,
issued an extra adssising the c~itizess "a
Keen close watch on their parl9is and
di4ing rooms or Van oraag. TIE msferr
secNrFa Of the spanish main. world
81 al them. Extra policemen We're called
for ard q detail was made To shadow
he niaralH'Hr and report If NJ attenpte5
the larceny of n stray pianos or sur
plus infants.
The Twenty-Five Witnesses were place.
in sasrocsn By order Of Judge Peftingff
and brought in TO testify one at a time
In the course of two hours TWENTY-FIVE
different stories of the manner in wFlct
the wire had rot bsen cut we're aecti-
nulafsd. and the court called the whols
group Of witnesses before him and feat
them q iecture on the pains aud penal,
tics Of psrjury. The Respondent wa.
discharged for lack Of iirect evidence
ard FL Imparciai printed d doubt
ls;idsd editorial on the distinctions b.,
tween patriotic prevarication and vim
asa general convenience.
Abou The sirn- thai the fret cargo o
aoai corsigned 70 Van Praag arrive.
M city fathers d~iscovered tina tn,
contract ~ lighting the city provide,
for ths imposition Of fms and paslaitie.
for Inefficient lighting. Forshwish til
rsceiver Was fined $i;l0 and the fiaa
we're continued daily until the,
amounted - nearly 5000, The cit,
fathers t'if. moi cxpece that the fire
would be paid, and Van Piaag msrei
say that the an!.ilttefs wrre in psftec
eondttion. He shei, paid the none.
noi. any attention until the city Was ST
months behind in its payments on tn
! contract al si,22l a month Then he be
: San slit in the provisional court. TIL
suit would ave been a matter Of in
iiffersnc to the citizens, for IN
beautiful city OF Mayaguez, like a
other Porto Rican cities. was ansb
bankrupt, but at that time the peopl
oil the island had divided into poiitica
parties ard Mayasuez was a republica
stronghold. When the suit was begu
he federal press and the feieral lead
MS held MaSaeuez UP Us an exanpl
IF republican misrile. and the city au
thorit:es at once entered into an agree
1isnt whereby they promised to pa
900 pesos Il month on the old accoun
AID guaranteed prompt payment q
subsequent bills.
\ AS compensation for this action til
city council resurrected an old SPANS
iaw under which municipalities hav
unlimited powers of taxation. The re
ceiver mas at once taxed 60 cents a to
IN his last cargo of coal. The SPANS
=, aw provides for a complete and con-
~pfehensive system of ievying aXe b
permitting the taxation of anything
Il. ~ amount. but ii provides for Il
method of enforcing payment of take
isyieG. Van Praag never paia the
cents a ton and he never paid the 81
IL -. 49, H. A--~ 49, =