davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30

it was not known there there was a
serious loss of life until the firemen
went up into the balconies.
The floors of the first and second
balconies were found to be literally
covered with people. In places they
had been thrown down in the crush
and trampled upon and. unable to es-
cape. they were overcome by the
smoke.
Taking Out Dead.
y large number have already been
taken out, and some dead bodies and
others injured.
The fire is now out and the firemen
are searching the ruins for the miss
ing. 1t will be several hours before
the extent of the loss of life is known.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
Generating Plant Blows Up.

Lone Tree. Iowa, Dee. 3O.-A gen
Grating plant in Smiths barber shop
exploded last night. No one was in
jured. The damage was slight.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
Purchase warships.

London, Dec. 30.-Japan this even
ing completed the purchase of the Ar
gentine warships Moreno and Biva-
davia, now building ut Genoa, Italy,
for which Russia also was negotia-
tino.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST
IN IROQUO|S THEATRE
Panic Following Discovery of Fire in New Chicago Play House
Results in Terrible CaIamty-FIOOrs of Galleries
Covered With Dead.

Chicago, Chief Mushan personal
first
S bee at
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
A STUBBORN BLAZE
Takes Twelve Hours and Thir.
teen Engines to Overcome
a Fire at Pittsburg.
STORAGE WAREHoUsEDA DAMAGED
Construction Is Condemned by the
Owner Cost May Reach
S7OO,OOO.

Pittsburg, Dec so. - For twelve
hours, commencing at a. m. thirteen
engine companies battled with a stub
born fire in the siX-story storage ware
house of Haugh * keenan,, at Third
street and Duquesne Way. Crossed
electric wires is given as to the possi-
BILE cause of the contia grafton. The
loss, according to James +. keenan,,
president of the company, will not fail
below 100000. and may reach $700,
900. The insurance will not cover
more than one-tenth of the loss. Kee-
nan blames the steel shutters and doors
which are approved by the fire under
writer's for most of the damage. He
contends that if the firemen had been
able to open these doors atnd shutters
the flames would have been under coll
Jrol long before they were.
Built TO Resist the Flames.
The building is a solid brick struc-
ture. equipped for Il warehouse, and
constructed of slow combustion ma
terial. 1t was supposed TO be prac-
tically fireproOf. Its sOlidity and pro-
tectcd character were the means of
making it one of the hardest fires to
fight the department has had for years.
From the time the fire was discovered
in the morning until it was smOthered
out in the evening not once did the
flames appear in any great volume,
but slowly and surely ate their way
from the fifth floor 10 the sixth. and
from the fifth to the third. All the
goods that were not burned were more
or less damaged by the flood of wat
er poured into the building.
Will Have To Be Rebuilt.
In estimating the loss President
keenan, said: 1--WE had more than 800
renters in the building. and every foot
of the 10000 feet of floor space was
occupied 1t is hard to tell what the
value of these goods were. but the
total may reach 100000. The loss
on the building which is owned by the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, will
reach $4,000. but it might as well be
a total loss for the walls are bulged
so much that they will have to be re-
built
Collecting OF Fossils in the Blaze.
The Mccormick Harvesting company
was heavy loser. and the Carnegie
museum may lose considerably on its
Bayet collection of fossils. which were
stored in the building for want of room
at the Carnegie Institute building. This
collection was bought by Andrew Car
negie from the king of Belgium last
year at a heavy cost. 1t contains 215
cases. containing 100000 pieces and is
the largest individual collection in the
world
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
A BELATED REPORT
Tells of Massacre of Missionar-
les Two Years Ago in
Heart of Africa.
J. G. TATE AND 18 FOLLOWERS
Trib besmen Who Did Bloody Work
Finally Relate The
Particulars.

Washington. Dec. 30.-AIinister Lyon
has reported to the state department
from MonrOvia. Liberia. under date of
of Nov I, the details of the massacre
of Il white missiOnary-John 6. Tate
with all his followers, eighteen in
number. in the depths of an African
forest. 1t appears that the massacre
took place as far back as March II.
1901. yet this. the first detailed account.
has just come to hand in an affidavit
by Mrs. Mary l.. Allen a white mis-
siOnary at Nouna KrOO, Liberia. She
heard the story from some of the ma
tive Doc tribeSmen who knew of the
killing
Nineteen Persons Were in Mission
Nineteen persons were in the mis-
sion when it was surrounded in the
night by the Docs. The first man who
answered a knock at the door was shot.
The Interpreter next was shot and as
Tate appeared and tried to protect the
body of the interpreter he. too. was
shot and cut to pieces. The Docs
then killed all the remaining inmates
of the house. cut off their hands and,
placing the bloody members in a coffin,
sent them back TO their people as tro-
phieS. In explanation of their action
the DOCS said: I'VE have no fight with
the white man. but if we do not Kill
him now he will bring his country TO
make war upon us"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
Death of MarQuis.

Dublin. Dec. 3O.-The Marquis of
Sligo died today.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-30
PREPARING A REPLY
Reyes Has Little Reason
to Hope for Con-
CeSSiOnS.

agreement with the United States.
The report was adopted by an over
whelming majority, showing the OPP
position to the United States is insig-
nificant.
Washington, Dec. 3O.-AdmiraI Lam
berton today cabled the navy depart
ment he had ordered the cruiser De-
troit to San Domingo to relieve the
Scorpion, which was ordered there
yesterday.
Long Cabinet Meeting.
Washington. Dee. 30.-At the meet
ing Of the cabinet the Panama situa
tion was the principal subject under
consideration. All members of the
cabinet except Secretary Hay, who is
Ill; Secretary Shaw. and Attorney Gen
eral Knox. who are out of the city,
were present The meeting was one
OF the longest held for several weeks,
the session consuming quite two
hours. At the conclusion of the meet
ing the members We're not cOmmunica
tive. Secretary Root was delayed
nearly half an hour in his arrival at
the meeting. having been in confer
ence with General Reyes, the special
representative of Colombia.
Root Is Managing the Case.
This circumstance caused it to trans
pire that during the illness of Secre-
tary Hay Secretary Root has been
designated by the president to con-
duct the negotiations of this govern
ment with General Reyes. Secretary
Root laid before the president the de-
tails of his interview with the Colon
Dian minister. Careful consideration
was given to the Colombian note filed
with the state department by General
Reyes, but it can be sail that no an
swer vet has been made to it. The
note was submitted by the Colombian
minister in Spanish, and some delay
was encountered in the translation of
the document.
Reyes Has a Hopeless Task.
No intimation of the contents of Gen
eral Reyes note or of the reply of this
government is given from any authOri-
tatiye source. 1t is known. however,
that the administration regards the
ratification of the treaty with the re
public of Panama as the first step to
ne IaKen III Ine entlre pen0lnS mat
ter. What this government may do
subsequently will he determined. at
least in part. by the circumstances
then surrounding the case. Prepara-
ton OF the answer of this government
to the communication from General
Reyes is progressing, but it is said
that it will not be ready for presenta-
tion before tomorrow His frequent
conferences with the officials of the
administration have enabled General
Reyes to realize that the United States
will not retrace a step on the 18th.
mus.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31
THAT COLD PROCESS.

On this page appears an editorial from The Selma Times good naturedly 5oshing The Advertiser, and mixing boquets and ginger impartially and lavishly. The Times, however, in its anxiety to make a point on the go;dbags isn't very careful in it's deductions, or 1t read the articles too hastily. It was distinctly stated in one of the articles reprinted Tuesday from The Chicago Chronicle. that by the new process gold could be made of 'the baser metals" while in the other 1t was inti- mated that the secret of making gold and silver had been discovered. The plain inference from reading the accounts is that both gold and silver can be made from the cheap metals like copper, lead and others of comparatively little value.
 But if we admit that gold can be more easily and economically made from silver than from any other metal, we fail to see how Mir. Bryan is going to even up things. If one dollar in silver can be transmitted into forty dollars in gold. is it not a natural consequence that silver, will be forty times as valuable as now? What, tHeH, DetOIuSS Ol yOut pdIitJ' SOuF heaven born ratio, and your 16-to-1 non- sense? Gone after Wards ducks, or we're no scholar.
 And there is. another point not to be lost sight of. admitting that silver will be used exclusively in gold making. for that will place upon MT. Bryan and other silveratics, including The Times, such a strain as will split them wide open. Will they he willing to give the precious, much loved and ardently worshipped silver dollar for forty dollars in gold? Here will be such d contention between desire for gain and devotion to silver as no ordinary mortal can bear up under To use The Timess language, we would like to be close by" and hear what the free silver apostle would say when the proposition comes up to him. In the language of Tom Hood he would cry:
 Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold!
 Bright and yellow. hard and cold.
 But The Times needn't be afraid. We are not going to sell The Advertiser for any paItry ten millions, though if they so perfect the process that they can trans mute type-metal into gold, we may be tempted to make a deal with them. Then The Times will also have a chance at good thing.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31
MIR. CLEVELAND WILL WIN IF NOMINATED.
Bourke Cochran Thinks Election Sure
 If Friends Can Force Issua

Bourke Cochran Thinks Election Sure
 If Friends Can Force Issue. New York Herald
 ed"
 That is the opinion of MT. w. Pourke Cockran, who arrived from Bremen yes- terday, passenger on the Kaiser Will helm der Crosse.
 ,l have been i'll for some time, said MT. Cochran, and have not taken much interest in political affairs and have given only cursory attention to newspapers. w hen went away in December last I expected to be abroad only five or six weeks, but was stricken with pneumonia While in Egypt and have hardly yet re- covered from the effects"
 Speaking of the death af the Pope. Mir. Cockran said he had an audience with him in April and his mental brilliancy was then as notable as ever and his vital ity as remarkable.
 An effort was made to get Mir. Cock ran.s views on local political affairs, but matters, pleading that he had not kept local politics or give opinions as to possi- ble candidates further than to say that MT; Low is the logical candidate of the tusionists That is," he added, If they
 Regarding British politics, MT. Cochran said that all of England is just now much excited over MT. Chamberlain's recently announced tariff plans. Personally, he thought that MT. Chamberlain was wrong in his advocacy of a preferential tariff but MT. Cochran did not think it worth While to discuss cabled report that he intends taking up his residence in Eng land for the purpose of assuming the leadership or the free traders
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31

eraily manages to get on the band wagon at the right time and would be equal to the emergency in such a contingency.
 Lets figure a little and see what The Advertiser would be worth if it should sell out for silver and have it turned into gold by the new process. We figure it out that the plant of The Advertiser is worth $5OO00. But the mere plant is the smallest part of what a newspaper is worth. Adolph Ochs bought a Philadel- phla newspaper and paid g O00, 900 for the name and good will and $190 900 more for the aparatus for printing the same. Now we should say that $250O00 would be 1alr price for The Advertiser though we doubt whether the proprietors would take twice that sum for it, but put the price at this figure for the purpose of our illus tration. Suppose they sell it for $250 900 in silver and should want to increase their wealth. They. would put that silver In boxes. ship it to the new process for making. gold. and the $25O.06O in Silver would be turned into $l0,0OO.O 900 in gold coin. the money, that The Advertiser now loves so devotedly. We are little afraid that $5.00O0O0 apiece might make the two proprietors of The Advertiser a little stuck up and look down on us poor, small fry. but we would be willing to risk it. As for the editor of The Chattanooga Times. we are afraid that he would be- come so arrogant he would not allow us little one-horse editors to have any opin- ions at all. He would reserve them all Tor what he considers the "best papers, in the country.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31

Washington, July 30.-(Special. l-Ala- l bama, Mississippi and Louisiana lumber men are up in arms against the rail- roads which handle their products. The yellow pine lumber producers have been having trouble with the railroads all the gear 9ver alleged rocsednas esedGan before the Interstate Commerce Commission to com pei more favorable adjustment or tarln. The complainant is the Central Yellow Pine Association composed of manufac- turers and shippers of yellow pine lumber in Alabama, Mississippi and that part Of Louisiana east of the Mississippi River. The lumbermen of the Association chiefly moving are the following:
 Amos Kent Lumber and Brick Com pany, kentwood, La; Nataloany Lum- per per company, Nataibany, dn La; c,t Sutner. c. w. Robinson Lumber Company. New Orleans. La; Eastman-Gardner Company, Laurel Miss; Camp and Hinton Com pany, A. s. Hinton and Co. R. ". Hin ton, Lumberton. Miss; Eureka Lumber Company, Eastabuchie, Miss: A. W. Ste phens Lumber Company. TiPton Lumber Der Company. Pine Grove Lumber Com pany, E. A. Watson Lumber Company, Lacey. Miss; Champion Lumber Com Bsr Bs EsVe Mss Msa Pearl River Lumber Company, Brookha- yen. Miss; Fernwood Lumber Company. Helm, Bogue Chitto Miss; Marbury Lumber Company. Marbury. Ala: Hen derson Lumber Company, Sanford. Ala: Henderson and Boyd. Enterprise. Ala; w. T. Smith Lumber Company, Chap man. Ala; T. H. Johnson and Co, Latin rop Lumber Company, Raul Lumber Company, Birmingham; Cedar Creek Mill Ter Company. Blackshear Mill Company, Brewton. Ala; Durham Lumber Com pany, Dunham, Ala; Horseshoe Lumber Company, River Falls. Ala; Lathrop Haften Lumber Company, Riverside. Ala; Yellow. Pine Lumber Company. Yellow Pine. Ala; Twin Tree Lumber Company. Maplesvile Ala; Stuart Lumber Com pany, Crimson, Ga: J. J. White McComp City, Miss: Easterlng Lumber Company, Ora. Miss; Pine Lumber Company. Pine, Miss; Finkbine Lumber Company, Wag gins. Miss.
 The railroad defendants are:
 The Illinois Central, Gulf and Ship Is land. Southern Railway. Mobile and Ohio, New Orleans and Northeastern, Alabama Great Southern. Cincinnati New Orleans and Texas Pacific, Alabama and Vicks- burg, Louisville and Nashville and Mo- bile. Jackson and Kansas City railroads.
 The complainants charge that from time to time within the past few years these railroads have raised their tariffs joint
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31
A WEAK AND VICIOUS PLEA.

The contention of some wrong-doers in office, that by retiring from public life, they have made atonement and should be let alone is a weak and vicious one which should neither be allowed nor encouraged. When an official has been guilty of em- bezzlement. forgery, bribery or other mal- fessance in office, he cannot right the wrong and satisfy the demands of justice by resigning and expecting that to end it. Yet such is the position assumed by MT. Lee, late Lieutenant Governor of Mis- souri. The evidence is overwhelming that while in office he both demanded and disc of his official position. His letters to the Baking Powder Trust are conclu- sive and some of them have been pub lished. They establish the fact that he was "out for the stuff" and knew how to get it. Business is business" he writes high for small results" because. he claimed, he controlled the situation. That was Lees style.
 We do not know how much Lee ob-
 
 has been made public, we do not now remember it, but that is immaterial. It was the principle involved. He held one of the most important and honorable of. fees in his State and accepted bribes from a private corporation, for which he was to use his influence. There seems no question of his guilt, yet he claims that by retiring he has made all the atonement that any one should demand, and that he should now be let alone. To comply with his plea would be condona- tion of crime on the part of the courts and of the people. The evidence that has been published about his venality was legitimate news Comments on that evil dehce is legitimate, and the newspapers have a right to make such comments. If the officers of the law in Missouri have cause to believe him guilty, they should prosecute him. His bahy plea of repent ance and retlracy Is not valid defence.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31

tariffs for the transportation of yellow pine north of Cairo. H.. being interstate value of such service.
 It is complained that the railroads have proceeded upon the gratuitous assumption that the lumber business was prospering and have colluded and conspired with all roads carrying yellow pine, taking in all the yellow pine regions of Texas, Arkan- sas, Louisiana, Mississippi. Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas, held secret meetings of traffic agents and un- justly advanced the rates two. three, four and five cents per hundred pounds. This rate 1t Is alleged, was agreed upon early in the year. The Louisville and Nash vile withdrew from cooperation with the agreement, but renewed it after April 15 on June 22. All except the Louisville and Nashville have exacted and still are exacting from the lumber companies the advance mentioned although northern connecting lines, when the rates went into enect, advised against the increase as the tariff in existence before that time anorded adequate remuneration. It is stated that most of the lumber carriers receded from the tariff schedule, and the east-of- the Mississippi lumber men com- plain that being competitors in the lum- Der trade they are placed at an undue disadvantage. The increase of the rate is termed unjust, unreasonable, unlaw- full and discriminatory"
 One of the pointed allegations Is that shippers are compelled by the railroads to furnish cars with standards, braces and slips at a cost of from S25O to B a car and that this equipment is charged as a part of the freight.
 The annual average output of the com panies interested is stated at l BOO 900 900 feet, valued at $6,OOO,OO0 The complaint is filed by J. M. Hinton, president of the Central Yellow Pine Associa ton and T. M. Miller. Marcellus Green and E. W. Green, solicitors,
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31

he ought to be after years of experience in conducting big excursions, he should not have paid more than so per day. each. for the four cars for the fourteen days the Alabama Press excursion was travelling. Pullman cars of s22iO. And that would leave margin of s3,2I for other expenses by Secretary Rountree. Now, The Advertiser does not as- sert that he made that profit, but he could have done it. if he is as shrewd a manager as he ought to be to under take the big excursions he has been work ing up year after year.
 The Advertiser hopes that Mir. Rountree will put himself right in this matter We trust that he has not been making big sums of money out of his brethren of the Alabama Press. But there is one thing he cannot make right. He has failed to do his duty in upholding the honor and dig nity of the Alabama Press in the loose way he has permitted these excursions to be run. He has winked at big imposi- tions on the railroads: Captain Falkner says he believes 40 per cent. of those who went on the recent excursion had no transportation issued to them on his line. And last, but by no means least, Secre- tary Rountree has been largely instru- mental in imposing upon the generosity and hospitality of the elegant people of Canada. who lavished their money in en- tertaining scores of people as represent atives of Alabama newspapers who were not connected with any paper.
 This is very disagreeable exposure fo.' The Advertiser to make, but it is con- vince6 that full publicity is the only way to break up this great evil, which is mak- ing the Alabama press a by-word among our people and a subject for bitter sneers abroad.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-31
CAPTAIN ROBSON TO RUN.
The Kansas City Times Has an Inter,
 view With Him.

Blrmlngham Age-Herald.
 captain Richmond Pearson Hobson is quoted by The Kansas City Times as say ing that he has decided to enter the race for Congress from the Sixth Alabama District in opposition to Congressman J. Il. Bankhead, the present incumbent. Ac- cording to The Times Captain Hohson said: Yes, shall try for the Congress slonal nomination next year. J. H. Bank head. the present Congressman from our PTS District is the man who defeated the bill to retire me: He caused me, in that way to resign from the navy. He will douhtless oppose me in the race"
 This sounds conclusive and in spite of many rumors concerning the young Ala bamlan's future career it looks very much as if he has had political designs for mulated for some time
 When asked what special work he would take up If elected to Congress Captain Hobson is quoted as replying that he would push his ideas for eniarginy the United States navy and he added that he would work. hard for the nomination, Which practically means election in Ala bama. State politicians believe that the Merrimacc hero would stand very slim the Sixth District @ ~