Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-02
Scraps and facts.

- Savannah, Ga, April 2S: Dis
patches from southwest Georgia re-
port a severe hail storm yesterday
Fifteen miles west Of Albany, In
Dougherty and Worth counties, cotton
and other crops were broken to the
ground. On ]. H. Bynum's farm the
roofs Of houses were broken through.
Negro laborers on the Bynum place
were forced to the woods for protec-
ton. Near Hartsfield, Joseph StoVall'
an old and weH-known citizen, was
killed by the blowing down OF the
house Of his grandson John Stovall.
Several persons in the same neighbor-
hood were more or less severely injur-
ed by the hail or falling timbers in the
wind.
-Czar Nicholas has published a de-
cree conceding liberty Of worship
throughout Russia. Heretofore sece-
ders from the orthodox church have
been liable to prosecution. and have
been deprived Of certain civil rights.
There Is to be no more Of this, nor Is
there to be any further restriction or
the publication of religious works OF
whatever creed Another imperial an
nouncement remits the peasants ar
rearages of taxes and back payments
on account Of lands given to them at
the time Of their emancipation
amounting to about $S7,500,000. AL
though no general amnesty for politi-
cal offenders has been granted, pardon
Is extended to certain classes OF pris-
oners, including those arrested for
participation in the disturbances OF
January %.
Quite a scandal is brewing in the
state department at Washington as
the result Of charges to the effect that
Assistant Secretary Loomis received
a bribe Of $4,000 from the New York
and Bermudez Asphalt Co., while he
was minister to Venezuela. 1t is un-
derstood that Minister Bowen Is res
ponsible for the publication of the
charges. The story is that President
Castro has the cancelled check Of the
New York and Bermudez Asphalt Co.,
to Mr. Loomis who was at the time
representative Of the United States at
Caracas. Loomis admits that there
is such a cancelled check in existence;
but claims that 1t was given him by
the New York and Bermudez AS
phalt company in exchange for funds
he had in New York at the time. Mr..
Loomis has been summoned to Wash
ington with a view to clearing the
whole matter up.
The census bureau has issued the
final report on the cotton crop grown
in 1904, showing a total production OF
13,5S4,457 bales of 500 pounds. The
crop exceeds that Of 1903 by S,491,SS6
bales or 35 per cent. The largest crop
produced in the United States prior to
1904 was that Of 1898, which amounted
to 11,235,000 bales, or 16 per cent less
than the crop of 1904. The average
crop for the five years period ending
with 1908 was s,Ss2,047 or 26 per cent
iess than the crop of 1904. Among the
cotton producing states Texas has
held the first rank for 20 years. Its
production in 1904 was 3,1S4,677
bales. Georgia, with production OF
1,s60,151 bales, was second, having
passed Mississippi, which held the
second place in 1908. Mississippi is
third and Alabama fourth. With the
exception Of Kansas, Arkansas and
Texas, all the cotton producing states
show larger crops for 1904 than for
any other year. The states which
show the most notable increase COM
pared with 1904 are: Alabama, Geor-
gia and South Carolina, the largest
increase being found in Georgia,
where the crop exceeded that OF
1908 by 612,3S0 bales, or 4S per cent.
The increase in Alabama is 46 per
cent, in South Carolina As per cent.
and in Texas 81 per cent. The in
crease in the combined production
Of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
over 1908 is 72 per cent. The re-
port shows an increase Of cotton
seed mills from S57 in 1900 to 715
in 1904.
AN exact statement Of the losses
in all categories in the battle Of Muk-
den from February 10 to March IA,
compiled by the general staff, shows
that the casualties were greatly
overs stated in earlier reports. State
ments from Japanese sources indi-
eating wholesale captures Of prison.
ers. enormous booty and cannon are
now denied. In reality 1t seems the
Russian losses amounted to two gen.
erals, who were taken prisoners,
1885 staff and other officers and ST.
SIT men, Of whom the greater part,
about $1,000, were wounded. In
evacuating Mukden and retreating to
the northward the Russians lost 80
guns, Of which three were mortars,
three old type field guns with piston
action and 26 quick-fire guns. OF the
siege artillery every gun and all the
ammunition carts were sent north
two days before the retreat began.
Gen. KarkeVitch, the chle1 OF Stall'
calculates that other losses aside from
the wounded were as follows: $4,000
killed, 1000 to 5000 known to have
been captured and 10000 to 10000
missing, OF whom several thousand
were drivers, sanitary and commits
sariat corps employees and other
non-combatants. A very large num-
Der were slightly wounded and re-
turned to the ranks. many even re-
sorting to deception in order to leave
the hospitals. This would indicate
that the extent of the japanese vic
tory and the disorder Of the Russian
retreat have been exaggerated and
that the spirit Of the Russian army
is still strong and the troops not de-
moralized.
General Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia,
died in Providence hospital, Wash
ington, last Saturday morning at
1920 o'clock. as the result of a stroke
of apoplexy sustained on the train
from Boston the day before. Gen.
Lee was a nephew Of the great Rob-
hi N