Newport weekly independent., 1901-11-01


 trotting record at Memphis, making a mile in 3 ;01 3-4.
 A number of people were injured in theatre at Louisville, Ky, in panic caused by false alarm of fire.
 Gen. Walter Payne, for a number of years commander of the Sons of Veterans, died last week in Chicago.
 F. D. Lyons, a socialist, who ex- pressed anarchistic sentiments, was taken from jail at Beaumont, Tex. by crowd, and given a severe beat ing.
 A plot to murder the shah of Per- sia has been frustrated by the arrest of the conspirators. Two of the shah's brothers were in the plot, and they have been banished for life.
 One of the greatest natural gas wells that has ever been discovered in the United States was struck about three miles northeast of Law ton by M. P. Mcdaniel, while drill ing for oil. When down about 265 feet in a stone formation the drill and casing was blown out with a loud report, to a height of 200 feet A rigging was devised to inclose the well. When tested it showed pres sure of 300 pounds.
 The most important feature of the annual report of Col. A. l.. Mills, superintendent of West oPint militia ry academy, relates to the measures taken for the suppression of hazing. Treating of discipline, he says: "Throughout the past summers en- campment, which is the time when new cadets are being initiated into their new life, and when hazing is ordinarily practiced, it is a fact that the great majority of cadets have obeyed the new order of affairs and the regulations Loyalty and will ingly.'
 B. H. Giger, who is large wheat producer of Kansas, is the origina- tor of a plan to raise th, price of wheat next year. His plan is to get the farmers to enter into a contract not to SOW an acre of wheat in 1902, except just enough for seed. The following year it is proposed to organize every county by town ships. As each farmer signs the contract he will be required to pay $1, which is to be expended advanc- ing the work, so that the whole wheat belt of the country will be put Ill some other crop next year, should the scheme be carried out.
 George G, Davis, judge advocate general of the army, has submitted to the secretary of war his annual report for the year ended June 30, | 1901. It shows that during the year there were 6,065 trials by general | courtmartial, being 600 less than during the preceding year. Of these, sixteen were trials of con- mlssioned officers, of whom ten were convicted. Gen. Davis says the death sentences were imposed by military commissions in about 242 cases, nearly all natives of the Phil ippine islands, on conviction of more serious crimes, and sentences were executed in about 101 cases. In most of the remaining cases sen tences were commuted to imprison- ment for terms varying from fifteen years to life Imprisonment, while in few instances sentences were com muted to Imprisonment for from five to ten years, and in few other cases the sentences were disapproved or set | aside.
 The monthly statement of the col lections of internal revenue issued by the commissioner of internal rev. enue shows that the total receipts for September, 1901, were $21,6O4,- 447, a decrease as compared with September, 1900, of $1,S49,366. The receipts of the several sources of "evenue are oiyen as follows