davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
EXCITEMENT OVER
GRAFT CASES HIGH
Menacing Throngs Surround
City COnnciImen Accused
of BoodIing
Especial Dispotch TO The Call

Especial Dispatch to The Call
PITTSBURG, Dec. 2S.-Excitement in
the recently uncovered graft cases
reached a high pitch tonight when both
branches of the city council met, with
each of the alleged grating councilmen
in his seat and President Brand, who is
under $4,000 bail. on the floor. About
1000 persons crowded about the city
hall and remained there until it was
announced that no more arrests would
be made tonight. Any attempt at an
arrest might have ended in bloodshed.
due to the temper of the crowd.
As soon as the council met President
Brand stated that he would retire from
the chair until he was proved innocent
of the charges against him. The cham
ber unanimously voted against this. but
he insisted and the crowd without
cheered for fully two minutes.
There was a strong feeling today in
well informed circles that Francis j.
Heney, the noted graft hunter, would
was in Pittsburg last Tuesday and con-
ferred with the Voters league. During
his stay in the city he had a suite of
rooms at the Hotel Henry, but he did
not register. 1t is generally known
that both the officers of the league and
Mayor Guthrie are trying to have the
government assign Heney to the case.
The Pittsburg railways company is
owned by the United Railways invest
ment company. The United Railroads
of San Francisco, of which Patrick
Calhoun is president. is a subsidiary
company. The Voters league openly
declares that there has been much bribe
soliciting in the Pittsburg railway
game, and that Heney would be just the
man to get at the bottom of matters.
In connection with the alleged bribing
of councilmen by bankers to secure de-
posits of city funds, it is said the plan
followed was to have the banks New
York correspondents forward the
amount of the alleged corruption fund
to another Pittsburg bank to the
credit of the councilman negotiating the
bribery deal, he to make distribution to
the other councilmen. Some of the
most wary councilmen operated through
safety deposit boxes. but others wrote
checks against the fund. 1t is said a
number of these checks will be pre-
sented as evidence.
Heney Denies Report
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call
WASHINGTON. Dec 2S.-Francis j.
Heney, the prosecutor, who is here,
said tonight that he had no intention
of going to Pittsburg in connection
with the scandal unearthed there.
Il have not been asked to do so by
the Voters league or by President
Roosevelt" he said.
Secretary Loeb said the only action
the president had taken was to order
the comptrolleer of the currency to
send examiners to Pittsburg to inquire
into the part taken by the national
banks in the alleged bribery of city
scOi1ncilmen
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
INDEX OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO CALLS
NEWS TODAY
TELEPHONE KEARNY ss
TuEspAY. pEcEMBER 2g. 1sOs
WEATHER CONDITIONS
NEWS TO-DAY

YESTERDAY North wind: cloudy; maximum
temperature. 46; minimum. 3S.
FORECAST FOR ToDAY-cloudy. with some
fog: light west wind. Page 13
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Situation Is Desperate

1t was briefly stated that the situa-
ton was desperate, and after sum
marizing the immensity of the catas-
trophe the report ended with the an
.nouncement that Captain Passino
commander of the local station for
torpedo boats, was buried under the
debris after having. with others. per-
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Chief Deputy Tax Collector De.
mands Coin Paid in, but Is
4 FIatIy Turned Down
Ignoring of City Ordinance Dur
ing Ruef Regime Encouraged
by Boards Action
Keepers Willing to Admit Their
Loss of Case in Court Ask
Funds, but Meet Denial

"H HAT the board OF police COM
nlissioners are assuming ex-
trsOrdinary functions in keeping
in their control money which
ofice as protested license fees is the
contention OF Chief Deputy Tax Col
iector J. o. Low. The money in contro-
Nersy amounts approximately TO sl.40o
and has been put up by the dance hall
keepers Of the city as q showing upon
which they have secured their liquor
licenses
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Destruction of Life and Property
More Terrible Than Expert
enGed in Many Years
Thousands of Inhabitants Perish
and Five Hundred Ves-
sells Are Sunk

~ ONE, Dec. 2S,-The three
* provinces of Cosenza, Catan-
IN zaro and Reggie di CaIabria,
comprising the department Of
Calabria, which forms the southwest.
ern extremity of Italy, or the -toe of
the boot" were devastated today BY
an earthquake, the far reaching effects
of which were felt almost throughout
the entire country. The town of Mes
sina, in Sicily, was partly destroyed
and Catania was inundated In Mes
sina hundreds of Houses have fallen
and many persons have been killed.
Owing, however, to the fact that tele-
graphic and telephone communica-
tions were almost completely de-
stroyed, it is impossible to obtain even
an approximate idea of the vast dam
age done.
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
For Old friendships Sake

Il have come to California to plead
for Mr.. Griffins pardon said Mrs.
Weber last night, because of our
long friendship. We used to play to-
gether, and l knew him in those days
for an upright man and can not be-
lieve that he knowingly committed
bigamy. You can see why I have in
terested myself in his case. He was
always a very clever actor and has a
great many friends in the south. where
] come from. When / first went on
the stage rs mere girl. I met him
and he taught me great deal. In fact.
l owed what success I had largely
to him. He was known on the stage
as Leroy Walt1am and il you find
any of the old programs from the
southern theaters yoV will find our
names upon them. He PLAYED the
leads and appeared generally in
comedy parts. ] am very hopeful
from the interviews I have had with
the lieutenant governor and the prison
directors that he viii soon be re-
leased
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
RICH WOMAN
WORKS TO WIN
ACTOR FREEDOM
Former Stage Companion OF
Robert Griffin Intercedes in
Behalf of Bigamist
Comes From South to Aid in Se=
curing Pardon for Con-
victed Man
Enlists Aid of Lieutenant Cow
ernor and Hopes to Gain
Old Companion Liberty

strange stroke of fate, Rob-
K ert w Griffin, actor. soldier
and convicted bigamist, sent
TO prison on q woman's tes-
timony born of hate. stands on the
threshold of freedom through woman's
pleading born of sympathy. Stranger
still, the active effort for his release
originated with neither of the women
he had claimed as wife, but sprang
from tender memories long nursed by
one of his companions of the stage, Miss
Violet Hoggins. at one time one of the
most popular actresses on the southern
circuit but now Mrs. Violet Webber,
wealthy in her own name and wife of
one of the leading attorneys of Nash
VILE Tenn.
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Great Destruction Wrought

The fate of the entire region within
the zone of the earthquake is un-
known, but reports received here up
to late hour tonight indicate that
the havoc has been great and the de-
struction to life and property more
terrible than Italy has experienced in
many years
The uncertainty of the situation for
many thousands has filed all Italians
with deepest distress, for they still
have fear that the day may come when
that part of the country which seems
to have been most blessed by nature
will be destroyed by the blind forces
of that same nature which nearly 10
centuries ago overwhelmed Pompeii
and Herculaneum
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
COAST

William Morse. son OF famous inventor.
Indian in Mexico and gives himself up t
thorities. p,
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
SUBURBAN

Custer proceedings brought TO place Gilletts
appointees in office of port warden fail. Page 4
Madman made sane by surgical operation in
Oakland. Page I
Colonial Jack" to walk 1900 miles in 400
days on 1000 wager Page 4
John claudianes granted continuance to seek
for attorney. Page 4
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29

Senator Perkins replies to the charges made
against his official record by Assemblymsn
CaIlan. Page 4
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Embraces Very Large Area

All reports show that the present
catastrophe embraces a larger area
than the earthquake in 1905. The tidal
wave which followed the earth shocks
on the eastern coast OF Sicily sank
vessels and inundated the lower part
of Catania.
1t is known that number Of per
sons were killed at that place, but the
rushing waters carried everything be-
fore them and caused such an indc-
scribabIe confusion that it will be i'm
possible for some time to estimate the
damage and the lives lost
For a period the town of Messina
and the whole province OF Reggie
were completely isolated through IN
terruptions to the telegraph and tele-
phone and by landslides that OBJ
structed the railroads. Absolutely
nothing was heard from Reggie
throughout the day, while the first
news from Messina came in the form
of dispatch which torpedo boat.
flying at full speed along the coast Of
the peninsula, carried from point to
point, always finding the wires down.
until it reached Nicotera, where the
telegraph lines were found to be IN
tact. From this point the dispatch
uaS sent
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Works for Release

When Mrs. Webber learned of Grif-
fms plight she FASTENED to San Fran
cisco and then crossed to the prison to
see him. In order to assist him she took
up her residence for time at Grand
View, near Tiburon. and almost within
the shadow of the prison. She took
the case to Lieutenant Governor Porter
and enlisted the aid of Griffln's two
wives. Moreover. she has interested
William Rusk, business manager of the
Theatrical mechanics association, and
Joseph Mathison of the musicians
union. These bodies have circulated
petitions asking for Griffin's release
and the documents are now in the
hands of Governor Gillett
Mrs. Weber has apartments at the
Nevada hotel. s25 Van Ness avenue,
and from there is directing the work
for Griffin's release
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
Hopes for Success

cisco for the special purpose of inter-
ceding for Griffin, and so successful
have been her endeavors that she be-
lieyes he will be pardoned within the
next few weeks Not word Of her in
tentions did she communicate. to her
friends when she left her home. She is
related to the well known Tevis family
of Tennessee, to a branch of the
Crocker family in New York. and is the
niece of D. Z. Evans. the multimiliion-
aire. Not only has she enlisted the CO.
operation Of Lieutenant Governor War
rem Porter, but she has induced the two
wives Of Griffin to labor in his behalf.
In the meantime the actor lies in a
darkened room at san Quentin, his eye
sight dangerously impaired, waiting
eagerly for the word which will swing
the doors of the penitentiary open be-
fore him. He was committed to the
prison in October under a one years
sentence. He had married Miss Goldie
McCarron in Toledo. O., July 8, 1897.
In June of this year he married Miss
Martha Straub, a beautiful Swiss gov
erness and linguist in Oakland 1t
was not long before the second wife
learned that there had been previous
marriage, and prosecution was begun
orif1n's only defense was his statement
that there had been an interlocutory
decree of divorce, which he believed
The San Francisco call., 1908-12-29
EASTERN
FOREIGN

Earthquake and tidal wave cause great havoc
in lower Italy, thousands Of lives being lost and
500 vessels sunk. Pare 4
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23

ana the family jewels and plate have re.
manned undisturbed until this season. Re
pairs have been in progress and many
workmen were employed. 1t is believed
that the thief or thieves found the chance
to reach and enter the strong room under
cover Of this invasion of the premises
Yet although the professional detectives
have been working diligently for weeks
no trace of the stolen valuables has been
found. At last the case has been made
public, and now New York is buZzing over
a genuine mystery.
Much Will be heard of the deductive
methods of Sherlock Holmes and the
taking ways Of ''Rafiles.' The affair OF
the secret room will evoke the ratiocina-
tive processes of the lovers of occult
phenomena. Plans of the Bourne man.
sion will be eagerly sought-and probably
provided with a perfectly delightful In
difference to architectural accuracy.
There will be much reading of Poe and
Gaboriau and Doyle. The memoirs OF Ia
nous detectives will be studied. In short,
by the first of September New York will
have extracted from the great jewel theft
a degree Of satisfaction second only to
that derived from finding an absolutely
unidentifable body on the spire of tho
highest skyscraper in the town. For next
to an election New York most dearly loves
a strange crime.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
IN SPRINGFIELD.
From the Knoxville Sentinel.

From the Knoxville Sentinel
In lynching a man more than eighty
years of age Springfield has put herself
into a class all by herself and there is not
the least danger that any southern city
Will ever dispute her pre-eminence.
From the Newark Evening News.
There is q general impression that that
Springfield affair cannot terminate prop
erly without two or three legal and or
derby hangings.
From the Memphis Appeal.
After Chain had been hit over the head
with brick he naturally came to the con-
clusion that the Springfield riot was the
result Of too much booze.
From the Syracuse Herald.
Lincoln's influence has apparently been
lost in Springfield. Ill.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
The riots-the iynchings. in Illinois. are
frightful When will those people know
how to respect the law?
From the Columbus Evening Dispatch.
All the southern papers are pointing to
the Sprinsfield, ILL.,, race riot as an Incl
dent which should teach the north to be
more charitable in its judgments of the
south. That is one way of looking at it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
BREAKING The news.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
And now Jim Sherman knows that
the reports that were in circulation for
some weeks were we'll founded.
from the Springfield Union.
Now, what's the matter with appoint
ing another committee to notify the
two notification committees that the re-
publicans' candidates for President and
Vice President have accepted?
From the Chicago News.
Kern is so we'll known now that there
will be no danger of the notification
committees handing the nomination to
the wrong man. Probably there is not
another pair Of whiskers exactly like
Mr.. Kern's in the whole state of Indi-
ana.
From the Indianapolis Star.
1t will now be safe to make a book on
it that Kern will also accept.
From the Pittsburg Gazette Times.
Now break the news gently to John
Worth Kern. and then let 'em 60 at
each other.
From the Cleveland Leader.
Perhaps they'll notify Gilhous IL they
can find him.
From the Detroit Free Press.
Not a notification committee has yet
met with rebun.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23

From the Chicago Record Herald.
Strikes seem to be the first fruit of
freedom in Turkey. We hope the people
will not jump to the conclusion that
freedom has no other blessings.
From the Detroit News.
This new vanadium steel. with its won
derful power Of resistance. is likely to be
all the rage for vests in the sultan's do
main this fall.
From the Columbus Ohio State Journal
When it comes to universal suffrage
in Turkey. the good Moslem who rises to
remark that the ladies ought to stop
wearing wells SO as to make the world
more beautiful is pretty certain to be
elected grand imperial Izzet, or whatever
1t is.
From the Providence Evening Tribune
1t Is possible that the Young Turks who
are insisting that the harem shall be
abolished have been inspired by the sui
tan himself.
From the Richmond Times Dispatch.
If the new women really caused the
Turkish revolution the old men had bet
ter look out.
From the BOSTON Advertiser.
Since the Young Turks seized the reins
no fewer than 265 newspapers have been
established in European Turkey. The
W. = evidently of and the censor out Of
Q job. - I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
HOW CYRUS LAID THE CABLE.

The following ballad was written by John I
axe. celebrating the completion OF the Atiant
able. nifty years ago:
Come. listen all unto my song.
II is no silly fable;
They call the Atlantic cable.
Bold Cyrus Field he said. says be.
II have a pretty notion
That I can run telegraph
Across the Atlantic oceaa."
Then all the people laughed, and said
They'd like To see him DO IL:
He might get half-seas-over, but
He never could 60 through 1t.
To carry out his foolish plan
He never would be able;
He might as well 60 hang himself
With his Atlantic cable.
But Cyrus was a valiant man.
4 fellow OF decision;
And Needed not their hooking words.
Their laughter and derision.
Twice did his brayest efforts fail.
And yet his mind was stable;
He wasn't the man to break his heart
Because he broke his cable.
Once more. my gallant boysi" be erted.
("rIl make II thirty" muttered he.
But I will lay the cable.'D
Once more they trIed-hurrah. hurrah.
What means this great commotionY
The Lord be praised! The cables LAID
Across the Atlantic ocean!
Long ring the beils-foY flashing thRoagh
Six hundred leagues OF water
Old Mother England's benison
Salutes her eldest daughter.
Ger all the land the tidings speed.
And soon in every nation
They'll hear about the cable with
Profoundest admiration
Now long live President and queen.
And long live gallant Cyrus!
And may his courage, faith and zeal
With emulst ton IRE US.
And may we honor evermofe
The manly hold and stable:
And tell our sons, TO make them brave,
How Cyrus laid the cable
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
Campaign Money.

The first reports about campaign con-
tributions give the republicans the advan-
'tage- Treasurer Sheldon, it is stated has
returned several checks because of the
law forbidding corporations. or corpora
tion oflicials acting such. to contribute
money for political purposes. Evidently
then there is money to be had for the
republican cause, and in time 1t will find
the lawful way into the party's strong
box. This is necessary, because after
the election Mr. Sheldon will publish an
account of moneys received and disbursed
by him as treasurer.
But, so far, the responses to the demo-
cratic appeals have been few and for
small amounts. The farmers have not
been aroused as Mr.. Bryan hoped. Wage
earners have not with hard cash followed
Mr. Gompers' leadership. Merchants and
bankers are not as a class in the Bryan
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23

New York probably has more amateur
detectives to the thousand Of population
than any other city in the country. The
metropolitan imagination revels in mys-
ferrous crimes and their solution. For
years upon years the people of Manhat-
tan have been fed upon a pabulum of
dark secrets. strange happenings, gro
tesQue adventures and enigmatical MUIR
ders. The enterprising press of the re-
sion has never lost a chance to present
all the inscrutable facts of life and death
to their sensation-loving readers. and
have conducted sleuthing expeditions with
such we'll managed publicity bureaus that
the urban world has been thrilled to the
least responsive nerve in the system
1t has been some months since the big
town had an old-time murder mystery to
solve. HeadleSs corpses have been rare Of
recent years and trunk homicides have
palled. There has been nothing worthy
of the star crime solvers Of the yellows
to tackle. The Hams case, like the Thaw
affair. is simply a matter of assembling
sordid details of marital infelicity and
offers no real intellectual diversion for the
true problem solver. Therefore the
Bourne jewel robbery. just reported. may
become a sensation. The circumstances
are favorable. Gems to the value Of
$50. 900 were stolen about two months ago
from the secret strong room of the Long
Island mansion of a well known million
aire yachtsman. The location of the room
in the walls of the great house was sup
posed to be known only to members of
the family. Burglars have long been
aware OF the fact that the house was a
| treasure casket, and it has been an object
| of nefarious attention for some years.
But efficient guards have kept all slip
pery-iingered guests at a safe distance,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
TO AN UNKNOWN.

Lady just over the way.
Truly your voice Is enhancing:
Every word that you say
Sets my heart lexping and dancing.
Why do you keep me in doubt,
Why do you leave me uncertain:
Fair is the weather without
Why don't you raise up the curtain:
Fain would I look at your eyes.
Fain would | know what your name 10:
You have my goat-are YOU wise?
Then I would know what your game 10.
Keeping me down the plain
While You are perched on a high hill.
Tell me how long you'll remain
''Vox, ct praeterea nihil."
Lady just over the way.
Come TO the front, I implore you.
Give me a glance can say
Whether I'll hate or adore you?
Anyhow, give me a choice
Are You a ounce or q daisy?
You who have won with your voice,
Open the blinds ere I'm crazy.
Cleveland Leader
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
Judge Taft to the South.

Judge Taft's appeal to the south Is In
the best of taste and temper, and the
man himself is Of the sort the south ad-
mires. Well born. well conditioned;
frank, manly, straightforward; a lover
of the horse and Of good stories: affable
without being easy going; he combines
the qualities which have long been as
ISOLATED with leadership in that sec
ton. Unquestionably too he has many
friends among southern democrats. But
will the south to any appreciable degree
respond in his favor?
For forty years the republican candi-
dates for the presidency have been men
who ordinarily would have been strong In
the south on the personal side. Gen.
Grant had the great magnanimity he had
exhibited at Appomattox to recommend
him. Mr.. Hayes was a soldierly man op-
posing foxy, bloodless New York law
yer. Gen. Garfield, an eloquent man, was
very popular with his southern associates
in Congress. Mr. Blaine was another
such man, running against a man about
whom the south knew nothing. Gen.
Harrison had been a brave soldier. and
had Virginia blood in his veins. And
surely there was never anywhere a more
Roosevelt is still alive, half southern, and
speaks for himself.
All these men, In a way, appealed to
the south for support. using very much
the argument that Judge Taft now uses.
There has not for twenty years at least
been any material change in the situa-
ton. Sound money and protection have
always been of the greatest value to the
south. Her credit has been supported by
the one policy. and her industries devel-
oped by the other. That she is not today
wholly a huge cotton plantation. with all
of her money invested in one crop. is due
to a policy she has persistently opposed
at the polls but which trfumphed In spite
of her.
But the south has remained democratic.
She has refused to consider but one ques-
tion-the race question-and on that has
staked everything. SO far as her local
affairs were concerned she long ago set
tied 1t. The negro has no voice in politi-
cal matters within her borders. nor Is he
likely to have soon again. But the race
question is kept to the front, and con-
trolls the south In her political relations.
Where SO many of his predecessors
failed Judge Taft can hardly hope to win.
Probably he does not SO hope. He must
find his electoral votes elsewhere. But
the speech will serve a good purpose as
making for good feeling. and on that ac-
count he is to be congratulated on It's
delivery. Votes may come IN time, but
not to him in this year of grace.