FILIPINO TROUBLES AND DEATH OF RUTH ASHMORE

 

Emilio Aguinaldo.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, December 27, 1898.

FILIPINO TROUBLES.

Their Congress Suddenly Adjourns and the Cabinet Resigns.

   MANILA, Dec. 27.—The so-called congress of the revolutionary government of the Filipinos, which has been in session for some time at Malolos, has unexpectedly adjourned, owing to the difficulty of formulating a constitution.

   The cabinet of President Aguinaldo, appointed at Bacoor on July 15 last and named in the Bacoor proclamation issued that day, has resigned.

   General Aguinaldo, who had been at Malolos, came from there to Santa Anna, a suburb of Manila. He then visited Paterno and now, it is reported, he has gone to Cavite Vieja, the old town of Cavite.

   Reliable advices say that while at Paterno he was indefatigable in his efforts to overcome the policy of the militant factions, which is hostile to the Americans. It is probable that his influence will avail to avert trouble.

    The Filipino cabinet, proclaimed at Bacoor on July 15 in conformity with a decree issued by the revolutionary government on June 24, was made of the following personnel: President of the council of ministers, with the ad interim portfolios of foreign affairs, marine and commerce, General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy; secretary of war and public works, Senor Don Baldanoro Aguinaldo, nephew of General Aguinaldo; secretary of the interior, Senor Don Loandro Ibarra; secretary of agriculture, Senor Don Mariano Trias.

 

Maj. Gen. Elwell S. Otis.

TROOPS SENT TO ILOILO.

Two Regiments and a Battery Dispatched There.

ACTIVE MEASURES IF NECESSARY.

Reported That the Spanish Forces There Have Been Attacked by the Insurgents.

   WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.—The administration has taken steps to safeguard American interests at Iloilo in the island of Panay, one of the Philippine archipelago, and a military and naval expedition is now on its way there from Manila.

   Cable advices have been received here from General Otis, commanding the military forces in the Philippines, and Admiral Dewey, commanding the naval forces there, showing that they are acting in concert in the matter.

   General Otis reported that he had dispatched two regiments and a battery of artillery to Iloilo on army transports, and Admiral Dewey notified the navy department that the cruiser Baltimore had sailed from Manila for the same place.

   It is explained that these officers are acting upon their own discretion in the matter, and that no official advices have been received here to indicate that there is any unusual lawlessness in Iloilo. Several days ago it was reported by way of Madrid that the Spanish forces in Iloilo had been attacked by the insurgents and had driven them back with heavy loss, but this report lacks official confirmation. The United States expedition is more in the nature of a precaution, but will take active measures for the suppression of lawlessness in case the condition of affairs requires it.

   Admiral Dewey is anxious for the arrival of the Buffalo, which is now near Malta, en route to Manila, in order that he may send home a number of men whose terms of enlistment have expired.

 

Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood.

OBSERVED CHRISTMAS.

Americans at Santiago Enjoy the Season in American Fashion.

   SANTIAGO, Cuba, Dec. 27.—Most of the Americans in Santiago celebrated Christmas, though hardly able to realize that this is the Christmas tide season, in the midst of most of the discomforts of summer weather. The palace clerks presented General Leonard Wood with a magnificent gold mounted tortoise shell walking stick in a mahogany case.

   The various regiments endeavored to enjoy the season in American fashion, while the Hist and hospital ship Bay State were gaily decorated.

   As the result of the charges brought by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Ray, commanding at Guantanamo, against Chief of Gendarmes Valtento, General Wood will appoint a commission to investigate affairs in their district.

 

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Woman as a Police Helper.

   The periodical forays of the police in New York city upon congregated vice and crime have this time been supplemented by a genuinely moral movement. In cleaning out the dens of vice on the east side the police are accompanied by a woman. The innovation is in the interest of those unfortunate women who are thrust upon the street and have no shelter. A home has been opened in the heart of the worst neighborhood, where they are all invited and cared for. We are thus presented with the unusual spectacle of the police pulling a dive and a matron standing by to soften the blow. The scheme, new as it is, promises to work well, for it gives the only possible reformatory touch to what is a mere punishment and for the most part only an expedient. In no movement has woman in her new activity so effectually supplemented mere force as in this. Her plan is—when you wish to reform a neighborhood reform it. To merely dislodge it is barbarous and futile and takes us back to times when every householder in cleaning house threw all the filth into the street. Some years ago the Five Points of New York was the most notorious den of civilization. It took rank with Seven Dials. It was a dangerous jungle in the heart of a metropolis, where cobras crawled and tigers lurked. For 20 years municipal law and the police struggled with it vainly, and it grew worse and worse. Then the women took hold of it. They went down there and bought the property, set up altars and schools and built a magnificent mission house. After that the Five Points began to disappear and in a few years became a matter of history. No finer example of what woman can do when force fails can be pointed out than that once malodorous district.

 

DEATH OF "RUTH ASHMORE."

Known to Thousands of Readers of the Ladies' Home Journal.

   NEW YORK, Dec. 27.—Mrs. Isabel Mallon, known to the reading public under the pen names of "Ruth Ashmore," and "Bab," died early this morning of pneumonia. She was one of the editors of the Ladies' Home Journal. Her career as a writer began sixteen years ago in Baltimore and her early struggles to make a living for herself were full of disappointments.

   Grief over the death of her mother, Mrs. Mallon's inseparable companion for many years, so weakened her that she was already victim to the dread disease. Mrs. Mallon's illness began the very day of her mother's death, last Oct. 8. She suffered from neurasthenia. A month ago she was attacked with the grip and this was followed by pneumonia.

   Mrs. Mallon was 36 years of age. She was a member of the old Sloan family of Hartford county, Maryland. She was one of the pioneer newspaper women. She came to New York sixteen years ago, suddenly thrown on her own resources by the death of her husband who possessed considerable wealth and began her career as a newspaper correspondent.

   She began writing the "Bab" letters in 1878. They made a hit, and there was much curiosity as to who was their author. Under another nom de plume, "Ruth Ashmore," her letters directed particularly to young girls, were full of advice brightly presented.

   For several years past Mrs. Mallon had also written under her own name, so she was known to three circles of readers as "Bab," "Ruth Ashmore" and Isabel Allderdice Mallon.

 

CLAIMS DAMAGES.

Asks for $6,500 for Change of Grade—Meeting of Village Solons.

   The [Cortland] board of village trustees held a meeting last night and the record of claims against the village being presented was not broken, for a single claim amounting to $6,500 was presented by Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt through her attorney, Benjamin T. Wright. Mrs. Hyatt alleges in her statement of claim that the change of grade of the new pavement opposite her premises on Main-st. near the Lehigh Valley tracks, and the consequent change of grade of Union-st. has caused damage to that amount to her property. The claim was referred to Village Attorneys Kellogg & Van Hoesen.

   Last night was the time appointed for the hearing of grievances or objections to the assessment for payment for the Main-st. pavement. Two objections were referred to Engineer Allen. The first was that of Dr. H. O. Jewett who claims that he is assessed for one foot more than he owns, and the other was from the Messenger estate, the claim being made that 21 feet assessed to the estate was erroneously assessed.

   At the request of Chief Barber of the fire department, $50 was appropriated to each of the four fire companies having bunkers in their rooms, the Water Witch, Excelsior Hook & Ladder Co., Emeralds and Hitchcocks.

   After auditing the following bills, the board adjourned until to-morrow evening to act on the paving assessment roll as corrected:

   Warren-Scharf Asphalt Paving Co., $15.50

   Street Commissioner's payroll, 148.75

   H. M. Kellogg, 14.51

   John Livingston, 2.00

   Jas. F. Costello, salary, 25.10

   Police force, 173.00

   W. T. Linderman, salary, 14.00

 

Family Christmas Tree.

   For a score of years or more it has been the custom of the Hamlin family to assemble at the home of some one of the relatives on Christmas day (or its substitute) and have an old-fashioned Christmas tree. Yesterday the relatives assembled at Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Bowen's, 101 Homer-ave. Mrs. Bowen is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hamlin. About seventy-five were present, old and young, many being absent. A Christmas dinner was served from 12 to 2 P. M. The tables were heavily laden with all the good things of the season. After this the presents were distributed from the Christmas tree, the tree was loaded with useful and ornamental articles as well as some luxuries. No one present was forgotten. It was a gala day for all present. The party finally broke up, all declaring that It had proved most enjoyable.

   The place for the next gathering was not fixed. It will undoubtedly be at some member of the family. Mr. Frank Hinman read a selection and Rev. Mr. Pearsall made some very interesting remarks appropriate for the occasion.

   Those from out of town were Rev. and Mrs. Geo. A. Pearsall of Conquest, N. Y., Ebenezer Hopkins and wife, Geo. Hamlin, wife and daughter of Moravia, Cyrus Heath and wife and Mrs. Henry Heath from west of Cortland.

 

Going to New York.

   Next week Tuesday, Jan. 3, Mr. W. T. Yale expects to leave for New York to begin the practice of law in that city. He has been fortunate in securing office room in the office of Frank S. Smith, 54 Wall-st. Mr. Smith is a prominent corporation lawyer, is the attorney for Andrew Carnegie and for other men of large business interests. The opening is a very fine one and Mr. Yale is to be congratulated upon it, but he is a young man of ability, of enterprise and push and of the most undoubted integrity, and will no doubt make a place for himself among the 17,000 lawyers of the metropolis.

 

BREVITIES.

   —A special meeting of the A. O. H. will be held Wednesday evening, Dee. 28.

   —The mothers' meeting (north) will be held with Mrs. A. W. Stevens at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—M. A. Case, Cloaks, page 6; Smith & Beaudry, Wall Papers, page 7; McGraw & Osgood, Did You Get One, page 5.

   —The Ithaca Y. M. C. A. has decided to suspend on account of lack of financial support. The Journal says it had been in existence tor thirteen years and had done a great deal of good.

   —Attention is called to the brilliant speech of the Hon. Chauncey M. Depew before the Independent club of Buffalo on Dec. 23, which appears on our third page to-day. His subject was an inspiring one to every American, "1898."

   —Eclipse of the moon to-night. The shadow will be first observed to impinge upon the full moon at a quarter before 5 in the afternoon. The eclipse becomes total about 6 o'clock, continuing for an hour and a half. The shadow will finally leave the disk at quarter before 9 o'clock.

   —Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. & A. M., and Cortland commandery, No. 50, K.T., go to Homer to-night to attend the services attendant upon the festival of St. John the Evangelist's day at Calvary Episcopal church, Homer lodge, No. 352, and Marathon lodge, No. 438, will also be present. The services will be conducted by Rev. Leonard J. Christler.

   —The Men's Bible class in the Presbyterian Sunday-school presented its teacher, Rev. John T. Stone, [with] a Christmas gift with a set of Victor Hugo's works in twelve volumes, bound in half calf, and with a set of Shakespeare, the Temple edition in forty volumes, bound in full morocco. The books were taken down to Mr. Stone's house Saturday night in his absence. Mr. Stone made a very pleasant acknowledgment, however, to the class on Sunday before the study of the lesson.