Newport weekly independent., 1902-01-10

the different departments WHO, ltOill age or other reasons, are not capable of performing the amount and char acter of work required by the pliDhc service, a number of congressman have been pressing a plan to place an age limit on service in the depart. ments and to retire on pensions all who have reached the ages prescribed and to provide them with pensions.
 The war department has received from the Philippines copies of a re- markable proclamation signed with the names of nine Americans, seven of them stated as being in the Unit ed States military service, inviting American soldiers to desert and join the ranks of the Filipino sol diery. It has been discovered that the signers were forced to affix their names to the document while held prisoners by insurgents One of the men had been found guilty of trea son, but when the true facts were made known Gen. Chaffee set the verdict aside.
 Joe Gibbs, said to be a western desperate, was captured while en- 1 gagged in what is thought to have been an attempt to hold up and rob the westbound mail and express train on the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific railroad Gibbs and two com l panions boarded the train at small station between Delhi and Rayyille, La Passing through the smoker, | Gibbs fired number of shots from a Winchester through the car win- dows, effectually terrorizing the pas sengers. From the smoker he en- tered the frst-class coach and start ed the same performance. The des- perado then returned to the combi- nation mail, express and baggage car and demanded of Messenger Pep per to open the door. Upon the messengers refusal Gibbs attempted 1 to batter the door down. While en- 1 gagged in this Conductor Frank San ders, having secured a pistol from a passenger, appeared, and, getting the drop on the desperado, disarmed him, and, with the assistance of two passengers, bound him hand and foot.
 Secretary Gage furnishes the fol- lowing brief review of the treasury situation at the close of the year2
 ssFor the calendar year we show receipts in excess of ordinary ex- penditures amounting roundly to one hundred million dollars. Since April 1 last the treasury has re- deemed and cancelled United States bonds to the par value of $58,714,- 500, which have been applied to the sinking fund, and the disbursement resulting therefrom was $72,226,- l S46. The available cash on hand is about $30,000,000 larger than the amount held year ago On April l, last year, the treasury held mon- l ey of all kinds to the amount of 1 $250,S73,000, including $100,000,- l 900 as gold reserve, leaving, there- fore, $150, 0,000,000 as a cash balance Today, in money of all kinds. the treasury holds $296, 6,659, ,000, and if we deduct the $150,00O,000 now held as gold reserve the balance stands at $146,000,O00, or $4.O00,- 900 less than it was April l, 1897. The volume of money on March l, 1897, outside the treasury was $1,- | 675,694,953, and the amount per capita was $2314. On the first of | December last the amount of money outside the treasury was $2,250,- 256, ,230, and the amount per capita was $2S73. The increase in amount was $574,56 ,277, and in per capita | S5.59. The amount of gold coin and gold certificates in circulation increased from $553, ,S60,515, on