Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-05-15
NEWS OF THE DAY.

from the Russian east front and
hurried them to France to oppose
the Franco-British offensive, ac-
cording to information from Russian
headquarters featured yesterday IN
Petrograd newspapers.
According to authoritative figures
now available, the French and Brit
ish Armies, between April and IL,
captured 49,579 Germans, including
976 officers; 444 heavy and held
cannon, 90 machine guns and $50
trench cannon.
Police of Pittsburgh recovered
practically all Of the $4,000 taken
from the First National Bank OF
Castle Shannon, suburb, yesterday
by four bandits, who entered the
bank, shot to death the cashier and
assistant cashier. bound and gagged
a patron. and in attempting to es-
cape wounded two persons. One OF
the robbers was killed and another
was wounded, probably fatally, by
shots from posse of townspeople.
A third bandit was captured and
badly beaten by mob that at
tempted to take him from the posse
While experimenting with device
built to resemble ar electric chair at
his home in Rochester, n. y, late
Yesterday, Carl P. Van Vechten
aged 20, son of the president of a
large flour milling company. was
electrocuted. He sat in the chair,
put an improvised strait jacket about
himself, attached chains TO his ank-
les and handouts to his wrists and
turned a current on and off by pull
ing with his teeth chain attached
to an electric light. The chain broke
when he turned the current on, and
as he was alone in the house, the
current at length killed him. His
mother found him dead when she re-
turned home an hour or two later.
The bitter complaints concerning
agricultural affairs. uttered during
the debate in the German Relchstag,
lend interest to the description OF
conditions in the German country
side. A correspondent asserts that
the supply of labor is shrinking con-
tinuously, that fertilizer is lacking
and that fodder articles are extreme
ly scarce and cXorbitantly dear.
Seed and planting material, he says
is insufficient. Owing to the severe
winter rye, barley and oats have suf-
fered much. The new crop will con
sequently be less than in previous
years.
Germany's submarine activities
NAV be restricted as the result Of
heavy damage inflicted upon Zee
brugge by British warships and upon
Wilhelmshaven by fire. These are
two of the chief German naval
bases from which U-boats have been
operating. Dispatches from the from
tier yesterday said that British
shells had played havoc with harbor
works at Zeebrugge and that fire,
which broke out in Wllhelmshaven
last Wednesday. ragged for seven
hours on the imperial wharves be-
fore being checked.
A rear-cnd collision between two
cars of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, in Portland
street, Congress Heights. d. c.,
about 8 o'clock Yesterday morning,
injured some forty men at the plant
of the Washington Steel and Ord
nance Company at Giesboro Point.
None Of them is dangerously hurt.
The line on which the accident oc-
Cured is a spur built for the &C
commodation Of the steel plant en-
ployes. 1t is stated that the failure
of the brakes Of car No. SO caused ii
to crash into car No. IS, which was
standing on a switch.
Joseph H. Choate. former United
States Ambassador to the Court Of
St. James. died early yesterday
morning in New York of heart dis
ease. Mr.. Choate was s. years old.
Herbert c. Hoover. will. it is said
be appointed food dictate.
Gen. Guchkoff, Russian minister of
way. has resigned.
In a running battle with subna
rine, the French mail boat Tarrag-
ona was sunk off Cape Torrosa be-
tween Oran and Marseilles, and
only seventeen of the $50 passengers
abroad were. it is said, saved
Reports that Russia has sought
an armistice with Germany were de-