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| Major General Henry W. Lawton. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, May 3, 1899.
MORE VILLAGES TAKEN.
General Lawton's Column Making Advances.
INSURGENT TROOPS ROUTED.
Only Two Americans Wounded While a Large Number of the Rebels Are Killed—General Otis Gets a List of the American Prisoners Held by the Rebels.
WASHINGTON, May 3.—The war department received two important telegrams from Manila, both from General Otis. The first one related to fresh victories gained by General Lawton's column, and was as follows:
"General Lawton's column passing westward from Norzagary captured Baling and villages in vicinity, scattering and pursuing 1,600 insurgent troops. His only casualties were two wounded; insurgent loss several killed; large number wounded and captured. Numbers not stated. Have opened communication with Lawton via Malolos by means of Hale's troops and detachments from city."
The second dispatch related to the American prisoners held by the Filipinos and was as follows:
"List of prisoners in the hands of the insurgents just received shows that Lieutenant Gilmore and seven enlisted men of the navy lost from the Yorktown, and six enlisted men of the army, three of the six wrongfully arrested in January before hostilities commenced, all reported to be doing well. Besides the above, two men are still in the hands of the insurgents, South and Captain Rockefeller still unaccounted for."
Reached No Conclusion.
MANILA, May 3.—The second conference held between Major General Otis and the Filipinos emissaries, Colonel Manuel Argueles and Lieutenant Jose Bernalfi terminated without any definite results.
STATE PRISON COMMISSION.
Action Taken Toward Employing Convicts and Delivering Prison Goods.
ALBANY, May 3.—The state prison commission at its regular meeting assigned to the superintendent of Sing Sing prison as additional industries upon which to keep the convicts employed the manufacturing of castings generally, park benches, settees and chairs and door and window sashes.
A communication was received from the New York city board of education asking the board to fix a time limit for the delivery after ordered, of convict made goods, especially school furniture. The board appointed President Stewart and Secretary McLaughlin a committee to settle that question which after conferring with Superintendent of State Prisons Collins reported in favor of granting the request of the New York board. The period of time as to delivery, however, was not decided upon by the board at the meeting.
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| 1902 Sanborn Fire Insurance map segment of Cortland, N. Y.. |
OVERCOME BY SMOKE.
MRS. JOANNA DAVERN LOSES HER LIFE IN A FIRE.
Was Carried Out of the Burning Building Once, but Went Back to Save Her Daughters' Valuables—Vain Efforts to Restore Consciousness— Origin of Fire Unknown.
There was a fire at 8:30 o'clock this morning in the double house at the corner of Owego-st. and Railway-ave., [Cortland,] owned by C. P. Walrad and J. L. McKee, which badly smoked the house up and damaged it by the deluge of water that was poured into it in the effort to get at the flames which were chiefly located between the ceiling of the second story and the roof and which were very difficult to reach and subdue. The damage by fire itself was not of great magnitude. But the affair was marked by one feature that has saddened many hearts and has cast a gloom over the whole community. Mrs. Joanna Davern, a widow lady of 61 years, while trying to save some valuables belonging to her daughters in one of |the upper rooms was overcome by smoke and died either before or just after she was found.
It was just 8:30 o'clock when Mrs. Thomas Poorman, who lives on Railway-ave. the second house from the corner, thought she heard a cry of fire from some direction. She stepped out upon her back piazza and looking toward the corner behind the intervening house saw flames bursting from a second story window of Mrs. Davern's house. Quickly she ran over. Mrs. Davern was at the sink in the kitchen pumping water into a pail. Her hair was badly singed and burned.
"Do you know that you are all on fire upstairs," asked Mrs. Poorman.
"Yes, I am trying to put it out," was the reply.
Mrs. Poorman seized another pail and pumped it full and then both hurried up the stairs with their pails. As they reached the door of Mrs. Davern's room which was just above the kitchen the flames burst out in their faces. They threw the water inside, but it had little effect. Down stairs they turned for more water, but Mrs. Davern said "we can never get it out alone." Mrs. Poorman quite agreed with her and advised her to secure and save any valuable papers or jewels or money which she might have as quickly as possible before the fire spread. "But they are all up in that room" replied Mrs. Davern.
At some time during the two or three minutes the two ladies were working together Mrs. Davern said that she had gone upstairs to make a bed and found the room on fire. Then she had screamed and her calls had reached Mrs. Poorman's ears. What the origin of the fire was, or just where in the room it was first seen, is unknown and probably will always remain so as she was alone in that side of the house and is now dead. The kitchen chimney, however, went through the room and it may have proceeded from some defect there. Mrs. Davern also made the exclamation "All the savings of my poor girls will be lost!''
Mrs. C. H. Thompson, who lives in the second house south of the Davern house on Owego-st., also heard Mrs. Davern's first call at the same time that Mrs. Poorman heard it. Looking out she also saw the flames, and with Mr. Thompson ran over at once. On the way over they saw Frank Byrns riding by on a wheel and called to him to ring in an alarm, which he did from the nearest box, 124, at the corner of Union and Owego-sts. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson immediately began to assist in clearing the house of furniture, but began on the north side which was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kent, who a month ago moved here from Oswego. They continued their work till the house was so full of smoke that they could hardly breathe, but they got everything from that side out.
Walter Angell whose grocery and market is but a few rods away was one of the first to hear the cries of fire and dropped everything to go to the assistance of the ones in need. He was the first man to arrive there. Dashing into the kitchen and up the stairs he found Mrs. Davern in her room almost enveloped in flames, but determined to save her belongings. He says one side of the room was then a perfect furnace and it is a wonder Mrs. Davern's clothing did not take fire. He says she seemed like one beside herself, crying and screaming, but gathering up large armfuls of clothing. He told her she must come out of there at once. She pointed to a big trunk that she had already pulled out near to the head of the stairs and asked him to take it down, and said she would follow. He carried it down and returned to find Mrs. Davern still there. Then he seized her and carried her down and out of the house. She asked him to go up to the girls' room which was a front room and get their money and valuables from a certain bureau drawer. He promised to do so and went back again leaving her outside. The room indicated he found locked and he could not get the door open. The smoke was so dense he could not stay there any time at all to fuss with it.
Just then the fire companies arrived and he hurried outside to get the Hooks to raise a ladder to one of the windows of the front room to save the valuables Mrs. Davern had spoken of before the fire got there. He saw nothing further of that lady.
J. H. Maher of 5 Winter-st. was one of those helping to clear the house of its furniture. He saw Mrs. Davern in the lower rooms headed toward the stairs but told her that she must not go up there again as the smoke was too dense. She seemed rather bewildered and he led her out of the house. He continued with his work and supposed she stayed outside.
Meanwhile the alarm had been sounded and the department responded promptly. But it was a long run—fully three-quarters of a mile. Orris and Water Witch each secured a truck team, hitched their carts on behind and piled the men on the trucks. The teams were run at full speed. The former's team proved the more speedy and gave Orris first water with Water Witch a close second. Emerald had farther to come, but arrived a minute later and had to go further down the street to find a hydrant, which it shared with Hitchcock.
The first two companies put a stream each into the room where the fire was. The blaze now, however, had got above the ceiling of the second floor and was hard to reach under the roof.
Emerald drew its hose over a piazza roof and entered a window at the side of the house to get a cross shot at the fire from the rear. Nozzleman James Gaffney with his mouth protected by a sponge at length proceeded right into the dense smoke, though he could see nothing. Thomas Murray was just behind him drawing up the hose and paying it out to Gaffney in advance. Suddenly Gaffney stubbed his toe against something on the floor. He tried to step around it, but it was extended at some length. He put his hand down upon it and discovered to his horror that it was a human body lying on its face. Dropping the hose he seized the body and staggered with it back to the window.
A thrill of horror ran through the crowd below as the two men were seen lifting the body through the window out upon the piazza roof. The smoke was so dense that the vision was indistinct and at first all thought it was one of the firemen overcome with smoke. Neither of the two men could speak at first for the smoke, and they only drew the body half way through the window, just putting the head out beyond the smoke till they could catch their breath. Then they took the body out a little further.
Just then there was an agonized cry from one of the daughters of Mrs. Davern who was in the crowd, "Oh, it is my mother." The crowd surged forward eager to help.
It had been a question for some time what had become of Mrs. Davern. One and another had asked for her, but she had been seen outside and no one had seen her go back and no one believed that she had returned to the house and gone up stairs again. But evidently she had determined to save those valuables of her daughters, for her body was found in the hall just outside their door, where she had undoubtedly been overcome with smoke.
A large piece of canvas used for protecting goods was taken up on the roof, and wrapped in this the body was lowered to the ground. There was a call for a physician, but none was there. Telephone calls were sent out from Angell's store and men started on wheels to look them up. Meanwhile the only person who seemed to know just what to do was Chester D. Moses, a medical student. He directed them to lay the body on the ground, where plenty of air could reach her. The crowd was roped back. Then Mr. Moses assisted by a half dozen others tried to restore consciousness by artificial respiration. Several of her lady friends rubbed and chafed her limbs. Mr. Moses attempted to force the air from the lungs by compression, while A. W. Graham raised the arms above the head as directed to admit the air. Not a trace of breaching or of heart action could be detected, though Mr. Murray thought he saw signs of breathing as he passed her through the window.
For twenty minutes this artificial respiration was continued. Father John [McLoughlin] came and administered the last sacrament even while the others were continuing their efforts to restore the breath to the body, not being willing to stop in the hopes that there might still be a possibility of life remaining. It seemed an endless time before the physicians arrived, but all had been out on their calls and could not be found at once. At length Dr. Dana, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Santee all arrived at about the same time. Hypodermic injections were given to stimulate heart action, but the heart had ceased to beat. It was all to no purpose, and at last reluctantly all efforts were abandoned and the fact was recognized that the life had departed.
The remains were then taken to the home of Mrs. Kelley, a neighbor, where the body was prepared for burial.
Meanwhile the fire had long since been completely extinguished, having made little progress outside that one second story room and the space above the ceiling.
The house was insured for $2,000 in the Fireman's Fund company with Davis, Jenkins & Hakes. The loss cannot yet be estimated, but is abundantly covered. Mrs. Davern's goods were insured for $400 with E. W. Bates in the Several County Fire Insurance Co. Mr. Kent had no insurance on his goods.
Mrs. Davern was a widow lady 61 years old. She had lived in Cortland for about eight years, having moved here from Freetown, where she had spent the greater part of her life. Her husband had been dead fifteen years. Seven children—six unmarried daughters and one son—survive her: Misses Julia, Anna, Frances, Theresa, Mary and Ida Davern and James Davern. Miss Julia is a trained nurse and is now in Brooklyn and has been telegraphed for. Miss Frances is teaching in Harford, Miss Mary is teaching east of McGraw, and Miss Ida is a member of the present graduating class at the Normal. Miss Theresa is a stenographer here in Cortland. All have made their home with their mother.
Coroner Moore was called, but decided no inquest was necessary. The funeral arrangements have not yet been determined upon.
BREVITIES.
—Mrs. Robert Purvis has issued invitations for a ladies' reception at her home on Union-st. on Friday afternoon of this week.
—The first $5 saved this morning by the village owning its own team. The new village span drew the hook and ladder truck to the fire.
—The remains of the late Elmer Bangs were this morning taken by Undertaker Wright from the vault in the Rural cemetery to Groton for burial.
—Hailstones as large as hickory nuts fell for some minutes in Binghamton during a heavy shower yesterday afternoon and all the ground was whitened.
—Home grown strawberries are now soiling in Ithaca for $1 per quart. The berries were raised on the Cornell university farm and are said to be immense.
—William L. Atwood, aged 61 years, died at 1 o'clock this morning from dropsy at his home, 7 Excelsior-st. The funeral will be held Friday at 2 o'clock P. M., burial in Cortland Rural cemetery.
—The conference appointments of bishops of the M. E. church were made yesterday at the meeting at Syracuse. Bishop Merrillis [was] chosen to preside at the Central New York conference which begins at Elmira on Oct. 4.
—Onondaga county has gathered in over $200.000 from Raines law certificates. This represents 650 different dealers in the several classes of the Raines law. Tompkins county has about $18,000 on sixty-seven certificates.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Pope Mfg. Co., Bicycles, page 7; Bacon, Chappell & Co., Ladies' suits and shirt waists, page 4; W. H. Angell, Groceries, page 4; Palmer & Co., Save money on carpets, page 6; Opera House, "The Highwayman," page 5.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Anglo-Russian Agreement.
The agreement between Great Britain and Russia pledges both countries to uphold the integrity and independence of China, but it in fact partitions the empire between these two powers, with the exception of comparatively small portions that have been seized by Germany and Italy, or are claimed by France and Japan. There is no reference in the agreement to the respective spheres of influence, but it makes provision against a clashing of the interests of the railways in Manchuria and the Yang-Ste valley, which is virtually an establishment of such spheres.
The Russian sphere includes Manchuria and Mongolia. In the former are Pe-Chi-Hi and Shing-Kin, in which concessions have already been granted to Great Britain on a large scale. In Shan-Tung the British have also an important foothold. Ho-Nan is likely to be made a buffer province. Even should Great Britain waive all claims to any territory in the Russian sphere or in the buffer province, it will still have the lion's share. For its sphere will include seven or eight central provinces, extending in a chain from the Yellow sea to the mountains of Thibet, thus giving it pre-emption of an unbroken empire from the Yellow sea to the Bay of Bengal. These provinces are the most populous and productive in the Chinese empire. They are tapped by the Yang-Ste, a river which is navigable to large ocean steamers for over a thousand miles, and along whose banks are more large cities and a denser population than can be found on any other river in the world. While the German press consoles itself with the impression that Great Britain has conceded to Russia all points of difference, it seems clear that all things considered, the British have much the better of the bargain, and that in China, as in Egypt, their policy has come out ahead.
The agreement appears to have to have removed all chance of a rupture for the time being between the parties to it, despite the reports that Russia is projecting a railway to the Persian gulf.
The Anglo-Russian agreement does not appear to be of a serious concern to the United States, It is announced that neither party to it is disposed to close the door against American commodities. Our government's policy in keeping aloof from the Chinese question has strengthened its position in Europe, and left it free to deal with the Philippine question in its own way. At the same time its ownership of the Philippines gives it claims upon the commerce of the far east which no nation is likely to stand in the way of its making good.
◘ Judge Peabody of St. Louis recently delivered a very remarkable decision it a case of wife beating. In effect he announced that in certain conditions a husband has a right to knock his wife down. His exact words, as reported in the St. Louis papers, are: "In this case the wife was more guilty than the husband for trying to contradict and thwart her husband's will in the presence of the children, thus setting them a bad example, which he had a right to rebuke. There are times when a woman irritates her husband to such an extent that he cannot control himself and uses his hand or fist. As long as no serious harm is done, I don't believe in punishment." This decision is so flatly opposed to popular sentiment as to be almost startling. But it is at the same time strictly in accordance with the traditions of the English common law and sounds very much like an echo of the eighteenth century.
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