Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-08-03
From Washington.
Correspondence Of the Alexandra Gazette
Washington. d. c.. August 3.

ment mall report on the recenI arrest
of Mr.. Gargiulo, the dragoman of the
American Legation there, which was
briefly reported in the press dispatches
early in July. Ample apologies were
given by the Turkish authorities; the
dragoman was under arrest sonlY an
hour, and the man who made the arrest
was promptly dismissed in disgrace from
the service. The State Department has
acknowledged the report with an express
sion of qualification at the prompt
closing of the incident. 1t seems that
the trouble arose through the issuance Of
general order 20 arrest persons found
purchasing arms and ammunition, the
importation of these articles into
Turkey being forbidden. Foreign sub
lects have however been smuggling arms
into the country and the local authori-
ties in preventing the sale of the for
hidden articles attempted to stop the
practice by arresting the customers
when issuing from the stores with their
purchases. Mr.. Gargiulo found it
necessary to purchase small box of
cartridges and on coming out was
placed under arrest, the police not hav-
ing been sufficiently cautioned against
arresting foreign subjects and especially
any one connected with the diplomatic
corps.
The report of the Agriculture Depart
ment today on the condition of the cot
ton crop was the first gotten out under
the new method devised by Secretary
Wilson. A temporary board of statisti
clans, consisting of Victor Omstead,
Stephen ID Fessenden, George X.
Holmes mo relation to E. S. Holmes,
ir., } and John J. Darg, did the business.
Assistant Secretary Willet NJ. Hays, in
charge of the bureau, received the work
of the board. The board and Professor
Hays were locked in the main office of
the bureau of statistics al 8 O'Clock this
morning. Secretary Wilson was up early
to see that the job was done properly.
Prof. Hays carried into the room with
him a bundle of reports. They were for
the correspondents in the south, and
were brought over to Secretary Wilson
in special mail bag from the pOstcftice.
Each envelope was peculiarly marked
and orders had been issued that no per-
son in the department accept Secretary
Wilson or Prof Hays should touch these
before they were taken to the barricad-
ed room of the statisticians. Police
were stationed at the entrances to the
bureau with positive orders to allow no
one except Secretary Wilson to pass after
the board entered. Clerks who happen
ed TO come late had to wait until after
II O'Clock to get into the bureau to &C
to work. Telephones in the department
were disconnected during the forenoon.
Drawn shades prevented any possible
g-wagging of news to the outside
The police had orders to keep the mem
bers of the board in the room until noon,
even though they finish their computation
before that hour. Just before noon
Secretary Wilson entered the bureau, and
promptly on the stroke of twelve Prof.
Hays emerged with the report in his
hands. Each member had gone over the
reports separately. Slight differences in
estimates were adjusted by averaging
Finally all expressed their approval of
the figures before thew were formally
given out.
The report of the Bureau of Statistics
Of the Agriculture Department on the
cotton crop was given out today at noon
rs follows Average condition on July 25
74.9 as compared with no on June %
1905, GIG on July 25, 1904, as with
10. 67 on July %, 1908, and ten year
average of S26.
The local grand jury which is cOnsid-
ering the "cOtton leak" scandal of the
Agriculture Department with view Of
returning an indictment against E. 5.
Holmes, ir., former associate statistician,
for bribery and conspiracy, aud which
adjourned last Tuesday, met today for
the consideration Of local cases. After
today's session the grand jury will adj
ourn to the 18th. The District Attor-
ney will endeavor to bring John Hyde,
late statistician of the Bureau of Stats
tics of the Department of Agriculture,
before the body as witness. Mr.. Hyde,
who is in England, wired Secretary Will
son that he would return. The exact date,
however, was not stated. Attorney Gen
eral Moody had a conference with Dis
trict Attorney Beach today regarding
the case, his desire being to keep in per-
sonal touch with developments.
w. w. Russell, the new United States
Minister to Venezuela, who has been in
this country on his honeymoon and also
as a witness in the Bowen-Loomis case,
will sail for Caracas from New York on
Saturday. The same ship will carry w.
J. Calhoun, the special commissioner
appointed by the President to go to Car
acas to make a thorough investigation
of the precise standing of all the Ameri-
can claims against Venezuela, including
that of the New York and Bermudez
Asphalt Company, and how they will be
affected by the arrangement recently en-
tered into by the Venezuelan govern
ment with the foreign bondholders. Mr..
Calhoun will be accompanied by his
wife and by Mr. Frank L. Joannini,
who has been detailed from the Bureau
of Insular Affairs, War Department, as
his secretary and disbursing officer. Mr..
Joannini is an accomplished Spanish
scholar. Mr.. Calhoun goes as a direct
representative Of the President and ex-
poets to be absent about two months.
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw re-
fuses to discuss the charge that surgeons