Newport weekly independent., 1901-11-22

New York.
 A gang of fifteen outlaws made a desperate attempt to rob a bank at Minister, O., in broad daylight. While engaged in an attempt to blow open the safe a continuous bat tie was kept up by the bandits with officers and citiens, the robbers final ly being put to flight.
 Santiago Iglesias, who went to Porto Rico as the representative of the American Federation of Labor to organize the Workmen of the island, has been arrested on the charge of conspiracy. The act is said to have consisted of advising the workmen to strike unless paid for their labor in gold at the same ratio as silver. The president has addressed communi- cation to Gov. Hunt, asking for facts in the case.
 Mrs. Mary Ann Bickerdyke, better known as ''Mother Bickerdyke," one of the most widely known women among veterans of the war between the states on account of her many heroic deeds while performing the duties of nurse during the period from 1861 to 1865, died last week at her home at Bunker Hill, Kan. She was endeared to the rank and file of the Union forces for her devotion first to the humble private who fell from the ranks, either by wounds or sickness.
 Dr. Geo. D. Barney, a New York physician, has undertaken an un- usual experiment to demonstrate the theory that tuberculosis germs can be transmitted from an animal to a human being. The doctor inocu- lated a COW, the germ taking effect. From the animal serum was taken, and professional nurse, who volun- teered for the test, was inoculated. The doctor says it is his opinion the patient will contract consumption, but declares he can cure the disease through new method of treatment.
 An illustration of the growth of the American navy is presented in the statement in the annual report of Rear Admiral R. B. Bradford. chief of the equipment bureau of the navy, that he spent $2,273,111 during the last fiscal year for 324, JOS tons of coal, at an average cost of $701 per ton. The report says that this was nearly 95,715 more tons of coal than was used during the preceding fiscal year. Ten years ago the coal con- sumption was 73,000 tons per an- mum. The domestic coal cost $6.2O per ton and the foreign coal, of which there was used 1O5,066 tons, cost $S.5O.
 Suit has been commenced in the United States circuit court of New York to recover $12S,52O which it IS claimed was paid under protest on a cargo of sugar brought from Iloilo, in the Philippines. The plaintiff claims that the island of Panay is American and not foreign territory, and that the collection of duty was contrary to the constitu- tion of the United States. The suit Is in a way test case to determine the right to impose duty on goods brought from any of the colonial possessions of this government, and will probably be carried to the United States supreme court.
 The annual report of Commis- sioner General Powderly of the inn migration bureau shows the total steerage arrivals in the United States during the year to have been 4S7,919, an increase over the pre- ceding year of 39,346, or approxi- mately 9 per cent. Of this in- crease 2,O20 came through Canadian ports of this country. There were also 74,95o other alien passengers who came in the cabin, making to-