BRITISH CRUISER TERRIBLE

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, January 11, 1897.

BRITISH CRUISER TERRIBLE.

Though showing High Speed, She Cannot Compete With America.

   LONDON, Jan. 11.—H. M. S. Terrible, the new first class cruiser, had her trials over a 28-mile course off the Cornish coast on Saturday. The speed developed showed an averaging 22 1/2 knots an hour beating, it is claimed, the record of every war vessel afloat.

   The Terrible was launched at Glasgow in 1895 and she is equipped with 48 boilers of the Belleville water tube type. This great ship is built of sheathed steel and is of 14,200 tons displacement. Her length is 500 feet and her beam 71 feet, while the maximum draft is 27 feet. She has twin screw propellers and is provided with an indicated horse power of 25,000. She is rated as a protected cruiser, the armored deck extending over the whole length of the ship. In its thickest part it is four inches and tapers to three inches at the end. Her coal capacity is 3,000 tons, the armored deck being associated with minutely subdivided coal bunkers. The complement of officers and men provided is 840.

   Her armament consists of two 9.2-inch guns, 12 6-inch quick firing guns, 16 12-pounders, 12 3-pounders, nine machine guns, two light guns for a boat and four torpedo tubes.

   The speed of the United States cruiser Columbia on her trial trip was 22 8-10 knots an hour.

CAPTURED BY SPANISH.

Three Americans Live to Tell About It.

THEIR TWO COMPANIONS SHOT.

One Killed In an Attempt to Escape; the other, a Cuban, Probably Murdered In Prison

—Went to Fight For Cuba.

   PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 11.—James Maguire of this city, Jeremiah Bonds of New York and Charles W. Allen of Stamford, Conn., have just reached this city after a thrilling experience in Cuba, in the course of which William Barry of New York, who had accompanied them, was shot and killed by Spaniards.

   On Sept. 10 the trio mentioned, in company with Barry, started for Cuba to join the forces of the belligerents and arrived in Havana Sept. 21. Here they fell in with Josef Ruiz, a Cuban patriot, who volunteered to guide the quartette to the retreat occupied by the Cuban commanders. They headed for the Pinar del Rio district, and when near Mariel, in the Guanajaz district, were surprised by a body of about 60 Spaniards, They were taken prisoners, searched, and finding papers confirming suspicions on Ruiz, held a consultation and decided to kill all the prisoners. The conversation was carried on in Spanish, but Ruiz interpreted their remarks for his American friends.

   Recognizing the desperate situation in which they had placed themselves, the quintette decided to risk their lives in a vigorous effort to escape, rather than to wait and be shot.

   Maguire rolled over to Ruiz and the young Cuban used his teeth with such

skill that he soon had Maguire's bonds cut through.

   Maguire then took a penknife and liberated his companions. It was dark, but the moon shed light sufficient to illuminate the ground for some distance. With a rush the five men ran to the spot, where they noticed some machetes and guns. They armed themselves each with a machete and revolver and belts full of ammunition. Then they attempted to get away, but the Spaniards pursued, firing a deadly volley after them. Barry fell, shot through the heart at the first fire and Bond's right arm was perforated by a bullet. The surviving four succeeded in outdistancing the pursuers.

   They made every effort to get back and recover Barry's body, however, but were unsuccessful and were compelled to make their way further into the mountainous regions of Pinar del Rio, and after a tortuous and wearisome journey they arrived in the region of San Cristobal. A few days afterwards they were recaptured by a band of Spanish patrollers.

   Their hands were tied behind them, and they were compelled to march for a distance of 10 miles, when they were thrown into a prison. The next day they were forced to march again until late in the afternoon, when they were put into another prison, and so they were marched from prison to prison until Havana was reached. Here they were thrown into a well guarded prison, where they were separated.

   On Dec. 23 the three Americans were brought before some commanding officer whose name they did not learn, but it is presumed by them that it was General Weyler. They were told Ruiz, the young Cuban, had committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver, which he had snatched from one of the guards.

   The three friends said nothing, but they discredited the suicide story and were firmly convinced that the young Cuban had been murdered.

   The trio of Americans were offered their liberty and passage home if they would sign a paper swearing allegiance to the Queen of Spain and promising on oath to do all they could against the Cuban cause in the United States.

   This they agreed to, and the three were released.

CRUSADE AGAINST COOLIES.

Californians Adopt Drastic Measures Against Japanese Labor.

   SACRAMENTO, Cal., Jan. 11.—A crusade against coolie labor has been inaugurated at Orangevale, a Citrus colony in the southeastern part of this county. C. G. Roos, an orchardist, employed six Japanese on his place and 15 citizens with gunny sacks over their heads seized the Japanese and placed a rope around the neck of each and took them to a big oak tree.

   There they were strung up and left hanging until life was almost extinct. The Japanese were then lowered and when they revived the hanging process was repeated several times.

   The Japanese were then forced to march out of the settlement and warned never to return on penalty of being hanged until dead.

   Roos, the employer, remonstrated at the outrage and then a rope was thrown about his neck with a threat to hang him if he interfered or employed any but white labor on his ranch hereafter.

Prisoners at Auburn Penitentiary.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

The Convict's Side.

   An unusual kind of literary contribution was lately published in The Outlook, detailing the thoughts, feelings and point of view of the average penitentiary convict. It is instructive, but not very encouraging to those who would like to look on our state prisons as reformatories instead of places of punishment merely. The writer of the article claims to be a man of education and ability. These gifts, however, did no better for him than to get him behind bars.

   He says that as a rule the convict regards the lower ranks of his keepers and guards with contempt. He does not think much of a man who will work for $60 a month. Then, too, he has had experiences which prove to him that these keepers are far from being incorruptibly honest. Indeed, the main article of a criminal's creed is that money, inside a prison or out, is the one omnipotent power in this universe. When he has seen a village constable give a vagrant money enough to get him drunk merely in order that he may arrest the poor, wretch and get a fee for it; when he sees a police captain in a large city constantly accepting bribe money, the convict's idea of official honesty is naturally not very high. Who can blame him?

   For the prison officers of upper rank the convict has more of respect, especially if these officers hold themselves aloof and do not permit any near approach to them on the part of the prisoner. It is the same with courts of justice. The criminal despises the police magistrate or justice of the peace, but has something like awe for the judge of the higher court; "but in it all there is very little genuine respect"—which is unfortunate.

   It is odd, but according to the writer in The Outlook, every convict, no matter what his crime, regards himself as a wronged man. It is partly based on the fact that "every trial is but an approximation to the truth." There is undoubtedly a great amount of lying in the sworn evidence at trials, and where the witnesses attempt to tell the truth the rival lawyers twist and distort it from its original meaning till it really conveys frequently exactly the opposite of the truth. That also is one of the convict's grievances. There is likewise unfortunately ingrained in the convict's mind an idea that the wickedness of a crime lies not in committing it, but in letting it be found out.

   ◘ A curious decision seems to have been arrived at by the powers that control the diplomatic relations of this country. It is to the effect that American citizens living abroad are not entitled to the protection of their government unless they intend to return here. There are citizens of all countries who find it to their interest, sometimes on account of health, again on account of money matters, to remain away from the land to which they are proud to owe allegiance. An American missionary, for instance, even when he expects to live and die with the foreign people among whom he labors, would not like to apply for citizenship papers to an African tribe, or worse yet, to Turkey. It is easy to understand, therefore, the feeling which impels American citizens residing in Jerusalem to forward to Washington a protest against the order withholding the protection of our government from citizens residing permanently abroad. That was an uncommonly foolish order.

   ◘ The greatest need of the American navy is for torpedo boats. We want, too, a few light draft battleships that can enter the shallower harbors of our gulf ports and the mouth of the Mississippi. A few light cruisers that could ascend the Mississippi as far as Memphis would be advantageous. In the matter of coast defending vessels the United States is better off than any of the nations of Europe. In the matter of coast defenses on land however, we are behind them.

JEPSON EXONERATED.

And H. T. McKay Held for Trial in the United States Court.

   Mr. Frank S. Jepson returned from Wilkesbarre Saturday evening, where he had been summoned in the matter of the government against H. C. McKay, charged with fraudulent use of the mails, and was seen to-day by a STANDARD man at his home, 74 East Court-st. He said that he was not called in the case, only the postoffice authorities being sworn. The examination was before United States Commissioner Hahn and resulted

in McKay being held for trial in the United States court, which sits at Scranton on the third Monday in March.

    On returning to Binghamton Saturday afternoon, Mr. Jepson was discharged by United States Commissioner Hall at the request of Marshal Black and on the recommendation of Postoffice Inspector Gorman. Commissioner Hall told Mr. Jepson that there was not a particle of evidence against him.

   Mr. Jepson stated that had he been called in the examination his evidence would not have amounted to anything as he knew absolutely nothing of the case. He said that McKay had partially made the authorities believe that he, Jepson, had conducted all the correspondence for the Keystone Milling company, and that he had rented the postoffice box at Scranton. A peculiar thing about it, says Jepson, is that McKay mailed his letters from Wilkesbarre, but received mail at Scranton.

   The complaint was made by A. Cosea of Clockville, Madison Co., who alleges that he sent $2.50 to the Keystone Milling company in answer to an advertisement in a Syracuse paper for a barrel of flour, but never received the flour.

   Mr. Jepson's many friends in Cortland and elsewhere will be glad to know of his complete exoneration from all connection with this affair, as he has always borne an excellent reputation.

In Justice's Court.

   The case of Theodore Galusha against W. A. Shirley was on trial before Justice of the Peace T. H. Dowd, Saturday. Both parties reside in Homer. Mr. Shirley is the collector in school district No. 1 and levied on and sold one of Mr. Galusha's horses to satisfy a tax. Mr. Galusha contended that his property was not assessable in that district and brought an action for alleged damages. D. W. Van Hoesen appeared for plaintiff and James Dougherty for defendant. Justice Dowd took two days in which to decide the matter.

   This morning the case of Hammond against Rose was called and adjourned to Jan. 20. This is an action to recover alleged damages amounting to $100 claimed in the sale of a horse from defendant to plaintiff. It was alleged that the horse was unsound. W. D. Tuttle for plaintiff and W. C. Crombie for defendant.

TO FURNISH LIGHTS.

John C. Hamlin Has Specific Figures to Give in his Proposition.

   John C. Hamlin some time ago made overtures to the boards of trustees of Cortland and Homer villages with regard to furnishing electric lights to the two villages, and mention was made of it at the time, but Mr. Hamlin was not then ready to state specific figures in his proposition. Now he has the figures ready and expects to lay the matter at once before the boards of the two village.

   He offers to furnish seventy-five lights to Cortland village for $6,000, the lights to run all night 365 nights in a year instead of till 12 o'clock for a certain number of nights in each month. He will furnish fifty lights to Homer for $2,500 for all night service on 365 nights in the year. This is upon the consideration that the contract is made with him for five years. He will also agree to furnish incandescent lights at fifty cents per month, provided he can secure subscribers for 800 lights.

   Mr. Hamlin is now ready to ask for a franchise for the new company which he represents.

BREVITIES.

   —The Epworth league of the First M. E. church will hold a business meeting to-night at 7:30 o'clock.

   —-The Cortland Ministerial association met in the Y. M. C. A. rooms to-day. They took dinner at The Kremlin.

   —The Retail Clerks' association meets at 8:30 o'clock to-night in Empire hall. Business of importance is to be considered and a full attendance is desired.

   —The northbound D., L. & W. train due in Cortland at 6 o'clock A. M. was one hour late this morning, owing to the breaking of an eccentric near Messengerville.

   —New advertisements to-day are—F. E. Brogden, cough cordial, page 2; W. J. Perkins, cold weather, page 6; Case & Ruggles, January clearing, page 8; Warner Rood, "Peck's Bad Boy," page5.

   —A regular meeting of the W. C. T. U. will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 3 P. M. Consecration service will be led by Mrs. W. L. Linderman. Business meeting reports of committees and a short program of interest will follow.

   —Mrs. Josephine Darby Brown, wife of Charles Brown, died of apoplexy in Homer Sunday, Jan. 10. Her age was 50 years. The funeral will be held Wednesday at 10 o'clock. The deceased was a sister of Mrs. Martha M. Jones of Cortland.

   —The second term of Dillon Bros. dancing academy will open Thursday evening, Jan. 14, in Empire hall. They expected to open in John L. Lewis lodge rooms, but on account of the fire cannot occupy them for about two weeks until repairs have been made.

   —Mr. J. W. Babcock, formerly of this village, now of San Francisco, Cal., sends us a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle of Sunday, Jan. 3, 1897, a marvelous issue comprising fifty pages, besides a beautiful illuminated cover profusely illustrated, and covering a half century of California's progress in its various interests. The number is a notable one from every point of newspaper view.

"Peck's Bad Boy."

   "Peck's Bad Boy" will be the attraction at the Opera House Thursday night, Jan. 14. The play has been revised and is up to date and the company is a strong one. There will be lots of fun.