Semi-weekly herald., 1909-12-13
ganlzed plot 10 dIscredlt Cook.

declares Wallace, "but refused to do
so. as | had no confidence in him or
any scheme he might have. He cali
ed on me last March when I was or
ganizing the relief expedition and told
me that he was one OF the best pro-
moters alive and declared he would
raise any amount we wanted for our
expedition II he could have so per cent
of all money collected. | believe he
did this at the suggestion OF others,
and is part of the plan to dlscredit
the first man who reached The pole"
Wallace gave out 1900 word state
ment in which he insists that Cook
certainly reached the pole, and de-
clares that Peary's effort is only. to
ruin Cook.
PUEBLO, Dec. 10-J. A. Kirk, whom
the police believe now in Denver, last
night and this morning tied up the To-
cal railroad yards and almost crippled
traffic.
At Q O'Clock this morning the big
roundhouse was discovered on fire.
The blaze was extinguished after a
loss of $500. 1t was then found 10
have been fired Hardly had the fire
department returned to the houses
when they were again called out to
put out flames which were burning
up the tool house. located in the other
end of the yard. This fire, too. was
incendiary.
Chief of Railroad Detectives McCaf-
ferty was sent for and with eight
men patrolled the yards. 1t was found
that switches on the main track had
been spiked. Track walkers were sent
to the outskirts of the city to flag
all incoming trains and to notify en-
gineers in charge of the condition of
switches.
Kirk succeeded in eluding capture
his last act consisted of climbing into
a switch engine, driving the engineer
and fireman from the cab. He, then
started the engine down the track
through the yards. After 1t got under
way he got off. The engine struck an
open switch in front of the union sta
ton and was derailed.
Despite the greatest efforts TO catch
Kirk he got away. The police say this
morning he was in Colorado Springs
and then left for Denver.
A reward of 5000 has been offered
for him. The railroad officials assert
he is n sympathizer with the striking
switchmen throughout the country
but his friends say he is evidently in
sane.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1O.-A CON
troversy over railroad legislation will
| be precipitated in congress this win.
ter which, in Importance, promises to
surpass the legislative conflict over
the railroad rates of four years ago
| The first gun was fired today by
Senator Cummins of Iowa, when he
introduced a bill proposing radical
changes in the interstate commerce
act. In a large sense the Cummins
measure IL substitute for the pres
ent interstate commerce act. 1t is
expected that the measure proposing
amendments to the law will be intro.
duced early in January by Senator Ell
i kins. which will differ from the Cum
minis bill in many important details
In brief the Cummins bill required the
| interstate commerce commission to
promulgate plan for statement OF
freight rates which shall hereafter be
made, in uniform way Carriers
are required to adopt this classifica
ton. 1t is authorized to consider rates
consider rates OH its own motion witt
a view to determining their reason
ableness and empowered to fix maxi
mum and minimum rates. In any ac
ton instituted in court to set aside
an order of the commission respecting
rates. Courts are prevented from in
quiring into the reasonableness or suf
ficiency of any rate fixed by the com
mission. The bill provides tina
changes in rates shall not become eff
fective until they are approved b,
the commission.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi. Dec lO.--A
; Harshberger, third vice president o
the Switchmen's union who is IL
charge of the strike during the alb
, sence of President Hawley stated to
! day in st. Paul that before the strik,
leaders allow the union to be beaier
in the northwest all switchmen on al
railroads west of Buffalo would b,
called out. Mr.. Harshberger said let
ters had been received from practical
, ly every point covered by the unior
showing that the switchmen are gen
orally keen for strike. Samue
Gompers. president of the American
Federation OF Labor is with tn,
switchmen of the northwest.
! LONDON, Dec 10--A small band o
| daring suftragettes were dislodged to
day from Albert hall, where the won
en- secreted themselves last night pre-
paratory to an onslaught upon PremieI
Asquith who Is to launch n libera