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| Senator William V. Allen. |
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| Rear Admiral William T. Sampson. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, February 27, 1901.
SAMPSON RAKED OVER.
Senator Allen Denounces Him In Fierce Style.
"COWARD" AND STRONGER TERMS.
Admiral's Comment on Gunner Morgan's Request For Promotion Caused the Caustic Utterances—Lentz Precipitates Another Clash in the House.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.—An important amendment to the Philippine amendment to the army appropriation bill was agreed to in the senate yesterday. It was an amplification of the amendment previously offered by Mr. Hoar, laying restrictions upon the sale of public lands and the granting of franchises and con cessions in the Philippines. It was accepted by the committee in charge of the measure, and is now a part of the committee amendment. Mr. Morgan continued his speech begun Monday and occupied the floor during the greater part of the day.
Mr. Allen secured the floor from Mr. Morgan during the afternoon and read a letter purporting to have been sent by Chief Gunner Charles Morgan of the navy to Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, requesting him to forward to the navy department his application for promotion to the rank of ensign under a provision of the pending naval appropriation. He also read the endorsement of Admiral Sampson, made upon the application of Gunner Morgan, in the course of which the admiral is represented as saying in brief that while he recognized Gunner Morgan's technical and professional ability, he was opposed to appointing warrant officers to the grade of ensign, because they had not enjoyed the social advantages which Admiral Sampson held a commissioned officer of the navy [and] should have enjoyed in order that he might represent properly his country [in] foreign countries particularly. The endorsement of Admiral Sampson expressed the admiral's hope that the secretary of the navy would not find it necessary to recommend the promotion of warrant officers in the navy to the rank of commissioned officers.
Mr. Allen took it that the endorsement proved beyond a shadow of doubt that there was "a snobbish aristocracy in the navy that is detrimental to the country and a disgrace to the country represented by this officer and like officers."
"If William T. Sampson is the author [of] those endorsements," declared Mr. Allen with vehemence, "he is a conceited ass and he ought to be marked down as such. We are not bringing up in this country a race of snobs. If I am correctly informed there was a time when Sampson was no better than Charles Morgan, the gunner. "He came from no better stock. I am glad to repeat that we are not raising in the United States a class of braw-jeweled aristocrats. If this rank and arrant coward is to be believed the time may never come in this country when a poor boy may attain to such a position as his abilities warrant him in holding."
As Mr. Morgan rose to resume his speech Mr. Allen remarked: "I want to say to Sampson and to his friends that I am responsible for what I say."
HANGED AND BURNED.
Swift and Terrible Justice Meted Out to Negro Murderer.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Feb. 27.—Punishment, swift and terrible, was meted out yesterday to George Ward, the negro who on Monday murdered Miss Ida Finklestein, the school teacher, by shooting her with a shotgun and cutting her throat. Several hours after his arrest the angry mob battered down the doors of the jail, dragged the prisoner to the Wabash bridge, several squares away, and hanged him to the bridge draw. Not content with the hanging the crowd cut the corpse down and laying it on a sand bar under the bridge, kindled a fire and cremated the remains.
Ward was arrested at 10 o'clock at the car works, where he was employed as a laborer and after being fully identified by two citizens, made a confession. His excuse for the murder was that Miss Finklestein called him a "dirty nigger" and slapped him in the face.
Sheriff Fasig communicated with Governor Durbin and the governor wired Captain Thomas of Company B to place his company fully armed in a position to be immediately ready for duty in response to a call from the sheriff. Before the sheriff could call on the militia the prisoner was in the hands of the mob and dead even before being taken to the place arranged for hanging.
At noon the crowd outside the jail, numbering several hundred, including men, women and boys, battered down the iron doors, but were driven back by jailor Lawrence O'Donnell who fired over the heads of the mob.
Deputy Sheriffs Cooper, Hessick and Leforge were struck by scattering shots and slightly injured but nobody in the crowd was hurt. A detail of police arrived at the jail and tried to disperse the crowd but with poor success.
The crowd kept on growing and the excitement increased and at 12:35 o'clock another crowd of irresistible numbers attacked the jail, battering down the doors. The cell was quickly opened and Ward was dragged forth. He realized that no mercy could be expected from the mob and he fought with the desperate ferocity of a beast at bay.
He was dragged out to the street, still fighting with all his strength, but a blow from a heavy hammer felled him to the ground. A noose was quickly adjusted to his neck, and the mob started with its victim toward the Wabash bridge. Face downward the negro was dragged through the street to the bridge and many are of the opinion that he was dead before the scene of the hanging was reached.
However the rope was thrown over one of the upper beams and the body drawn up. It had been swinging but a short time when someone suggested burning at the stake. The suggestion was adopted unanimously and a fire was quickly kindled on the bank of the river.
Into the fire the body, bearing no sign of life, was thrown and fagots were piled upon it. The body was in a horizontal position. The fire had barely been started when a man arrived with a can of turpentine, which was fed to the eager flames. After that combustible oils seemed to flow spontaneously toward the fire and the flames leaped high while the body of the negro was burning.
There was no attempt at disguise on the part of the members of the mob. The leaders of the mob are unknown and as public sentiment upholds the lynching no prosecutions are expected.
Admiral Winfield Scott Schley.
PROMOTIONS HUNG UP.
Probability that Sampson and Schley will Never be Vice-Admirals.
WASHINGTON, Feb 27.—Schley still ranks Sampson and the prospects that it will ever be otherwise this side of the pearly road are anything but flattering. The senate last night in executive session confirmed all the naval nominations submitted by the president and growing out of the battle of Santiago—all except those of Sampson and Schley. These are "hung up" and even the most enthusiastic friends of Sampson express not the slightest hope that the senate can now be prevailed upon to advance that naval commander in view of the recent publication of his treatise on "aristocracy" as a desideratum among the officers of the navy.
Schley's friends accept the trend of events philosophically. Under the circumstances they prefer that Schley should remain in his present position unrewarded and rank Sampson rather than that he should be advanced to vice-admiral even, and be ranked by Sampson.
SEVERAL CONGER COMPANIES
Incorporated for Groton—Capital $200,000—List of Directors.
ALBANY, Feb. 27.—Certificates of incorporations were filed with the secretary of state to-day of the Conger Mfg. Co. of Groton, N. Y., with a capital of $200,000 to manufacture steam engines. Its directors are Frank Conger, Jay Conner. C. W. Conger, E. P. Watrous, E. A. Landon, Harvey Brooks, Frank Begent, Giles M. Stoddard, C. F. Cox and J. C. Conger of Groton and W. V. Walker of Moravia.
The Conger Produce Co. was also incorporated with a capital of $50,000 to sell produce and property of all kinds. Its directors are U. W. Conger, Mary J. Conger, Frank Conger, Benn Conger and Jay Conger.
The C. W. Conger Co. was also incorporated with a capital of $100,000 to sell product, stocks and bonds. This company has the same directors as the Conger Produce Co.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Testimony of Handwriting Experts.
The refusal of Justice Fursman to permit a handwriting expert to give to the jury his opinion as to the authorship of certain papers submitted by the prosecution in the Kennedy murder trial in his court in New York raises an important point in criminal jurisprudence and bears upon the whole question of expert testimony as well as the particular form of testimony covered by the ruling.
In the present instance it was sought by the prosecuting attorney to identify the defendant as the murderer by proving by comparisons that he was the writer of certain signatures found on the person of the murdered woman. This method has heretofore been generally permitted by the courts. Justice Fursman, however, held the writings offered for comparison were not disputed writings, that they were not in issue, not in controversy and that expert testimony as to their authorship could not be admitted unless they were in dispute.
The effect of this ruling, if it should be sustained by the court of appeals, will be to place much narrower limits on expert testimony in New York state courts than now surround it. Indeed it would practically eliminate the testimony of handwriting experts from the majority of cases in which they have been a considerable factor, at least in the matter of occupying the court's time and the expenditure of the public's money. In so many cases have these experts, apparently possessing equal qualifications, been found to flatly contradict each other regarding any given exhibit of penmanship that the public and even the courts themselves come to look with more or less discredit upon this sort of testimony. Frequently the expert witnesses, whether in the matter of handwriting, chemistry, medicine or surgery, are inclined to give purely ex parte testimony in behalf of the party by whom they are employed. Unquestionably there are times in criminal cases when the opinion of men trained in specialties is vital, but it would seem that in the interest of justice and public economy some change or limitation might be put upon the prevailing system of ex parte employment of experts. As Justice Fursman apparently brought up the matter for the purpose of having the court of appeals pass upon it the final decree of that tribunal will be awaited with interest.
D. L. & W. R. R. Depot, Cortland, N. Y.
TEAM THROUGH A BRIDGE.
CAUGHT IN THE NORTHBOUND LACKAWANNA TRACK.
Owner under Influence of Liquor—Notified Engineer at Electric Light Power House Who Took Means to Signal Trains—Owner then Disappeared—One Horse Had to be Killed—Other Slightly Injured—Several Hours' Work to Get Them Out of the Bridge.
Shortly after 12 o'clock last night a man who appeared to be considerably under the influence of liquor entered the engine room of the power house of the Cortland and Homer Electric Co. north of this city and told Engineer D. Atwood that his team of horses was in the railroad bridge of the D., L. & W. R. R. close at hand and he wanted some help about getting them out. Mr. Atwood replied that he himself could not leave his post at the power house, but advised him to go out at once and see that a warning was set to prevent trains from running into the horses and causing a wreck. The man went out, but Mr. Atwood did not feel sure from his apparent condition what he would do or could do and he quickly telephoned over to the street car barns to Frank Ellis, the watchman, telling him of the condition of affairs. He could not telephone to the D., L. & W. station in Cortland, as the powerhouse and the car barns are connected with each other during the evening by a regular agreement and the connection is not broken till morning, consequently he could not get the central office.
Mr. Ellis seized a couple of red lanterns and hurried over to the railroad track. He found a pair of young horses, a bay and a gray, with their legs through the bridge between the ties in about the middle of the bridge on the east, or northbound track. They were headed south and were attached to a heavy long sleigh with a box on it. There were a couple of blankets in the sleigh and an empty oil can. There was nothing else there to furnish any identification of who they belonged to or where they came from. As soon as Mr. Ellis saw that they were on the northbound track he hurried south at full speed taking one of the red lanterns intending to signal the northbound midnight freight which had not yet gone up. He went clear to the railroad station in Cortland and notified the operator. The latter at once sent word to William Halloran, the section boss, who lives on Clinton-ave. next the track and he got out three men whom he could quickly secure and hurried back.
Meanwhile Mr. Ellis boarded the McGraw car which was just returning to the barns on its last trip, having been held till beyond its usual hour to take a theatre party back to McGraw. The motorman on this car was C. J. Winter. As soon as the car reached the barns Frank Ellis, Mr. Winter, W. H. Ellis, motorman on a Homer car which had just got in, and Express Driver Philip May who lives near the fair grounds and who went home on the McGraw car on its trip to the barns, all went over to the bridge. They found the driver of the team there and tried to learn his name, but he did not seem able or inclined to tell it. He told them that he lived on the last farm in the town of Homer, but on which road or in which direction they could not learn. He said that he was coming from Homer and was going home when the horses turned down the track and he couldn't hold or control them. These statements as to locations and direction did not reconcile very well, but they could get no more out of him. The sleigh tracks at the crossing, however, verify the statement that he was coming from the direction of Homer.
These men who were first at the bridge found that they could do nothing alone. They managed to unhook the horses from the sleigh and run the sleigh back, but the horses were uneasy and kept struggling. The ties are placed so close together on the bridge that it was plain that the horses must be raised straight up to get them out as otherwise their legs would be cramped between the ties. They began to carry planks from the powerhouse to cover the bridge so as to lead the horses off when they should be gotten up and they told the driver of the team to bring some planks. He brought two and then disappeared utterly, they had no idea where, nor did they see him again that night.
More help was needed so that one of the men was sent to rouse the neighborhood. About fifteen additional men turned out to help. A tackle and slings were borrowed from the street car barns and these were attached to the cross pieces upon the top of the iron bridge. The gray horse which was exactly between the rails was first hoisted up and gotten out. He was found to be uninjured except scraped and scratched by his struggles and the contact with the ties. It was, however, found that the bay horse had his right fore leg broken just above the knee. He had struggled violently and had gotten himself partly over the rail on the east side. It was found necessary to end his misery, and he was promptly killed. The gray horse was led down to Dr. E. O. Kingman's veterinary stables, where he still remains. It was 4 o'clock when the second horse was gotten out and the track was cleared. It was remarkably fortunate that no train came along before the warning was set, as a terrific wreck would surely have resulted.
When it was decided necessary to kill the horse a list of the names of those present was taken as all might be wanted as witnesses in case any question of damages should arise. All who were there knew the condition of horse and agreed that there was no help for him and that the only thing to do was to end his sufferings. Those present at that time were Wm. Halloran and three railroad section men, Thomas Gerrard, T. S. Mourin, Calvin Priest, W. A. Smith, Luke Gerrard, C. J. Winter, Dennis McCarthy, P. O. O'Donnell, John Kirk, F. C. Ellis, W. H. Ellis, fifteen in all.
The dead horse was loaded into the sleigh and up to 3 o'clock this afternoon it still lay beside the railroad track near the bridge.
All day long a search has been continued to learn the owner of the team. Inquiry was made at the hotels and saloons at Homer as to the presence there last night of any man answering the description of this man, but not a proprietor or bartender in that town would acknowledge that he ever saw such an individual. One of the crews of a Homer car think that the man had an upset down the bank on the east side of the road just south of the Tisdale mill and that he was the man they saw picking himself up when the car passed. There was a rumor afloat to-day that he came from the vicinity of Solon pond and that he was not the owner of the team but that it was owned by a widow there and that this man worked for her, but this could not be verified.
One of the men mentioned above feels very confident that the team is owned on the hill west of Cortland or Homer, and that he has seen it before, but he cannot quite place it for sure. The owner will doubtless make himself known in a few days at least or be discovered.
Thumb Badly Jammed.
B. W. Gridley, an employee of Maxson & Starin, was yesterday afternoon helping in putting some new timbers in the trestle at the coal dump when a stick 12 by 12 inches in size slipped and caught his left thumb, jamming it very badly and gouging out the back of the thumb including the nail. Dr. Johnson dressed the wound and the thumb is doing well, though very sore.
Meeting of Common Council.
The common council held an adjourned meeting at the office of the city clerk last night, at which time Engineer H. C. Allen presented a corrected list of the assessments for paving Groton-ave. Mr. L. H. Gallagher was appointed acting city judge by Mayor Brown and the council confirmed the appointment.
A. P. of I. Social.
Sweet Home association Patrons of Industry will drive in loads to South Cortland on Friday evening of this week to hold a social at Daniel Harrington's. It is hoped that all members will try and be there. For particulars inquire of Geo. F. Dann, president.
Very Handsome Milk Wagon.
E. A. McGraw & Son have just completed a remarkably handsome and convenient milk wagon for L. Bangs & Co. of the Oak Grove farm, Moravia. This is after the special design which is characteristic of the McGraw milk wagons, and similar to the ones they have built for J. S. Park, M. W. Wadsworth and B. E. Dickinson of Cortland and for Charles Wavle and Dell Gross of McGraw.
It is hung low. The body is painted a dark shade of yellow and has a white top and curtains. The gear is a light yellow and the whole is artistically striped and lettered. The qualities of strength, durability and convenience are carried out in this vehicle on the same lines as characteristic of all work done at McGraw's wagon shop.
SALVATION ARMY HALL.
Illustrated Lecture by Capt. Rutledge on Saturday, March 2.
Capt. Rutledge will give an illustrated lecture at Salvation army hall on Saturday evening, March 2, at 8 o'clock. Over one hundred views will be shown on the social work of the army, also views of all parts of the world. A fine lantern will be used. Every one will be welcome.
A Birthday Party.
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, there was a pleasant gathering at the home of Mr. Uriah Cobb on the H. F. Benton farm, in honor of the birthday of Mrs. Cobb's grandfather Mr. Nathan Weed Lombard who resides with them. Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren from Marathon, McGraw and Cortland, joined in the pleasures of the day. A sumptuous dinner was served from 12 until 2 P. M. Mr. Lombard is 85 years of age, is possessed of all his faculties, and with his pleasant sunny disposition enjoys much of life.
SUPERB SODA FOUNTAIN.
F. E. Brogden Preparing to Cater to Summer Needs.
Druggist Frank E. Brogden is to-day replacing his large soda water fountain with one of the largest and best, as well as one of the handsomest fountain ever set up in Central New York. The structure is eighteen feet long and 13 feet high, and has in it a plate glass mirror 13 feet, 6 inches long by 4 feet, 6 inches wide. This is one of the largest mirrors ever placed in a fountain. The fountain is furnished by the Matthews Soda-Fountain Mfg. Co. of New York, and their representative, J. C. G. Rennet, is setting up the mammoth distributor of cool drinks.
There will be thirty-six marble panels in the fountain and these will be mounted with a brackatelle frieze. The top mouldings are of Normidion marble. The wood work is all quartered oak, and all the handles on the faucets are onyx.
The fountain is provided with all the modern improvements connected with first class fountains and will be an ornament well worth one's time in examining as well as a source of supply of some of the choicest of cooling draughts.
BREVITIES.
—The Wide-a-Wake society will meet this evening at the home of Mrs. Lewis, Harrison-st.
—The Assembly party will hold its second dance in a series of five at Red Men's hall next Friday night.
—A trolley road from Syracuse to Utica taking in the resorts on Oneida lake is said to be on the program for the coming summer.
—The STANDARD is indebted to Hon. George E. Green for a copy of the annual report of the New York State railroad commission for 1900.
—The funeral of Mrs. Martha McDonald will be held from the home of her daughter Mrs. J. L. Graves, 43 Groton-ave. at 2 o'clock P. M., Thursday, Feb. 28.
—New display advertisements to-day\ are—Smith & Beaudry, Wallpaper, page 6; E. M. Mansur, Groceries, page 2; Palmer & Co., Bicycles, page 4; J. W. Cudworth, Optical talks, page 5; C. W. Stoker, Groceries, page 4; Hudson Crockery Co., Lamps, page 5.
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