Washington telegraph., 1909-01-01
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THE TOPICS
OF A WEEK

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aequittal and three for conviction
and declaring that it would be inn
possible to reach a verdict, the case
of Beach Hargis, charged with the
killing of his father, Judge Hargis,
ended in a mistrial Saturday. As
told IN the trial, Beacn entered his
fathers store and after few words
with the judge engaged in a grap-
pie with him. They fell to the floor,
Beach on top, and with the judges
pistol, the boy fired several shots
into the body Of the PROSTATE man.
The state, represented by Common
wealth's Attorneys Kelly Kash and
A. Floyd Byrd, contented itself with
the facts Of the case ending its testi-
mony at the point when a witness
testified that Beach during the course
of the day Of the murder said: SI'm
getting wild and I'll do something
desperate before night" The de-
Tense, one of the lawyers of whom
was United States Senator-elect
Bradley, former governor of Ken
lucky, based its strength upon the
testimony of the boy and that of his
mother, the wife of Judge Hargis.
Mrs. Hargis testified that the judge
had early taught the boy bad habits
and when Beach was a child had
given him whiskey and buckled
gun upon his hip.
The business depression which
ended a few months ago cost the
manufacturers of steam railroads
equipment. freight and passenger
cars and locomotives a loss of al
most $500, 100000 of orders, accord
ing to figures prepared by the Rail
way Age Gazette. In the present
year only about p per cent as many
cars and locomotives were purchased
by the railroads as were bought in
the preceding year. The outlook up
nllaieu f6 not exceedingly encour-
aging 4ast year the railroads spent
more than $425, 100000 for equip
ment and locomotives, and this year
the total expenditures will not ex-
ceed $127,000,00O. In the equip
ment and power ordered in the year
the railroads also showed a neavy
decrease.
In publishing last week its regu-
lar annual review of railroad con-
struction in the South, the Manu-
facturers' Record says: ''The total
number of miles constructed dur
ing 1908 in the South, including
Missouri and Oklahoma, was 1860
miles. Last year there were over
$500 miles built. In the South
proper-that is, leaving out Missouri
and Oklahoma there was ,682 miles
built in 1908; last year it was 2,9S7
miles. This is the lowest record of
new construction in the South for
many years, but the prospect for
next year is that 1886 miles will b
constructed, although this may be
exceeded if more encouragement is
given to the building of railroads"
Governor Haskell has announced
that he had received word from
Henry Starr, the noted bandit, that
Starr was ready to surrender to the
state and stand trial upon charges
against him in Oklahoma if Cover
nor Haskell would guarantee i'm
munity against cytradition to 'tner
states. Starr is wanted in a number
of states on various charges. 11.e
governor said he would not consent
to such an arrangement.
Burglars blew the bank safe at
Elmore. Okla, and got away with
$175. Silver was scattered all over
the floor, half of the front of the
building was blown out and the safe
was torn into hundred pieces.
With his head severed from his
body an unidentified white man was
found near a crossing of the Katy
tracks at Muskogee, Okla, where