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| Horatio Herbert Kitchener. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, March 26, 1902.
WITH A FLAG OF TRUCE
Acting President of Boers Goes to See Kitchener.
CONSIDERED AS SIGN OF PEACE.
For a Week Mr. Schalk-Burger and His Colleagues Have Been Closely Pressed at Rhenoster Kop —Absence of Botha Noticed.
Pretoria, March 24.—Acting President Schalk-Burger, F. W. Reits, ex-secretary of state of the Transvaal and Commandants Lucas Meyer and Krogh arrived here Saturday on a special train from Balmoral, about 50 miles east of here under a flag of truce. After a short stay they proceeded to the Orange River colony.
Upon arriving here Mr. Schalk-Burger and his party drove immediately to Lord Kitchener's headquarters, where he had an interview with the British general. The Boers afterwards proceeded to the railroad station and entrained at 5 o'clock for Kroonstad, whence they will go out under a safe-conduct.
For a week past Mr. Schalk-Burger and his colleagues have been stationed at Rhenoster kop, north of Balmoral, where they have been closely pressed by British columns. Dispatch riders entered Balmoral Friday night and notified the British of the approach of Mr. Schalk-Burger and his party.
It is reported that the Boer position at Rhenoster kop had become almost hopeless, and that Mr. Schalk-Burger narrowly escaped.
The Daily Chronicle, commenting on the absence of Botha from the deputation, suggest he is standing aside owing to the failure of his overtures of a year ago, and considers that although the conditions of Lord Kitchener then offered to Botha had been annulled, it is highly probable that peace may still be arranged on similar lines, but that the Boers cannot expect more lenient terms.
The Daily News remarks that a settlement would be possible if the Boers were treated like civilized combatants, "but men do not surrender unconditionally just after taking one of the enemy's generals and four of his guns."
BUSINESS GOOD IN MEXICO.
Considering the Adoption of the Gold Standard.
Mexico City, March 24.—A general improvement in the cotton movement is noticeable and importers continue to show a great desire to have the government adopt a gold standard. The important interests favoring a continuance of the silver standard are the planters and manufacturers. The former get a gold premium on their increasing exports, while paying wages and taxes in silver.
The Mexican Herald points out that rents, provisions and clothing are already on a gold basis and that the present situation cannot be indefinitely prolonged.
General business is good and large orders for machinery plants are being received here from interior points.
THE HOUSE EXAMINATION.
WIDOW OF THE DECEASED CONTINUES HER TESTIMONY.
Alleges That Orson House Advised Her to Kill Her Husband with a Pitchfork or Club—The Houses Took All the Milk Checks—She Feared the Houses—Reference to Mortgages on the Stock—Examination Adjourned Till March 29.
Saturday afternoon Mrs. Bennett, the widow of George Bennett, continued her testimony in the House examination at Marathon, N. Y. She broke down several times and wept during cross-examination and it was only by permitting her to tell her story in her own broken disconnected way that the important features which the attorneys wished to show could be brought out. She told of the preparations to leave the farm and move to Homer; of the objections made by the Houses to their taking certain things from the place; of the trouble between [George] Bennett and the Houses about the cows; and of the visit of Fred Bennett and the officer to the place to get the cattle, and of the threats made by the Houses at that time against her and her husband. She told of her fear of the Houses and of how she stayed in Marathon the night before coming to Homer because she was afraid to stay on the farm.
The family reached Homer with a load of goods about 1 o'clock on Wednesday, and Thursday morning Johnnie, her son, started for Marathon with the team to get the rest of their things from the House farm. Johnnie did not return Friday nor Saturday nor Sunday, and when Monday came and he did not appear they became alarmed and feared that some accident had befallen him or that he might have been delayed by the high water, and George Bennett started out about 1 o'clock to find him. Mrs. Bennett next saw Johnnie about 11 A. M. on Tuesday when he returned alone with the horses, and she did not see George Bennett again until after the shooting.
Referring to their trouble with the House she said upon one occasion when she and George had had some difficulty John C. House advised her to kill George, but she refused to do such a thing because she was afraid of God. Upon another occasion Orson told her to kill George, "to take a club or a potato fork and come up behind him and knock him."
Upon cross examination by Mr. Miller she told of her marriage to George Bennett; of the ill treatment they received after moving to the House farm; of the mortgage on their stock as security for the unpaid rent for the farm where they had lived in East Freetown; and of a subsequent mortgage to Fred Bennett; of the transfer of the first mortgage to the Houses, and of how the Houses kept all the money received from the milk checks to apply upon the mortgage, and even after the mortgage was paid continued to keep back the money; of how she worked the fields with her husband; of not having money to buy shoes or clothing nor even sufficient food; and of how at one time she was going to work for Ed Miller because the Houses ill-treated her so. She said that all the money they ever received from the milk checks while they were on the farm was $7 and some off cents, which George brought her in July. All the milk checks were made out in House's name.
HARRY P. SQUIRES.
Harry P. Squires, one of the proprietors of the milk station, was called to show that all the checks for milk drawn to the station by George Bennett during the year were payable to O. A. and J. H. House, and that none of the checks were made out in favor of George Bennett.
JOHN LYNCH.
John Lynch, who lives on the first farm east of the House farm, is the last man, so far as is now known, who saw George Bennett before he reached the House farm on the night of March 3. About 10 o'clock on the night in question he was on the highway leading from Marathon to his home. He was walking and overtook George Bennett about a mile west of Marathon. He spoke to Bennett, whom he recognized and walked with him a couple of rods and then went on and left him, as Bennett was walking slowly. It was snowing some and the night was dark. Bennett had a stick of wood which he was carrying under his arm. The stick was about eighteen inches long and four or five inches wide, evidently a piece of stove wood.
In reply to questions by Mr. Miller upon cross examination, Lynch said that as he passed on ahead of Bennett he saw footsteps in the road. These tracks were going in the same direction and he observed them for about five rods. Farther than that he did not notice any tracks in the road leading past his house and did not observe any.
The witness was shown a stick of wood by Attorney Wilson which was marked as defendant's exhibit No. 1, and which he said looked like the stick Bennett was carrying under his arm when he overtook him. It was a piece of stove wood 18 inches long, about 4 to 5 inches wide, and from 1 to 2 inches thick. It was a piece of beech and had the bark on one side.
R. J. ROUNDS RECALLED.
Deputy Sheriff R. J. Rounds was again recalled to testify to a conversation between John H. House and the sheriff which he heard upon the occasion of their first visit to the House farm.
ALBERTIS TARBELL.
Albertis Tarbell is the proprietor of the Marathon House in Marathon, N. Y. He testified to George Bennett being brought to his hotel on the morning of March 4 accompanied by Dr. Field, Dr. Parsons, Deputy Sheriff Rounds and John H. House. Bennett was taken into the sample room on a cot and remained there until taken to the morning train for Cortland.
At this point the district attorney stated that the people had only two more witnesses to call and that they had been unable to reach them with subpoenas. One of these was Mr. Humphrey of East Freetown and he wished to show by him the transaction in reference to the mortgage upon Bennett's stock before the Bennetts moved to the House farm. By the consent of both sides an adjournment was taken to Saturday, March 29, at 10 A. M., when it is expected that this witness will be called and stenographer's notes of the evidence already taken will be transcribed ready for the signatures of the several witnesses. The examination then adjourned and the defendants were brought back to Cortland on the 4:38 train.
NEW HARDWARE STORE.
W. W. Bennett, who for the past six years has conducted a plumbing, tinning and stove business at 37 and 39 Railroad-st., has added a full line of general hardware to his stock and will from this time on carry a complete line of builders' and shelf hardware. The business formerly conducted by Mr. Bennett, which consisted of all kinds of plumbing, heating, and in fact everything in that line except the general hardware stock, will still be carried on by him. The goods for the new stock are nearly all here. Saturday a carload of Sterling stoves arrived, and other goods in proportion are being received.
Charles F. Waldo, who has had many years of experience in the hardware business, will still continue to assist Mr. Bennett in the business.
PECK BROS. NEW QUARTERS.
Showroom, Salesroom and Repairroom at 30 Main-st.
Messrs. Peck Bros. are now doing business in their new quarters in the stores at the corner of Main and Orchard-sts. The store fronting on Main-st. will be used as a general showroom for harness, robes, blankets and all their smaller goods. In the rear store which faces Orchard-st. will be the repairroom, and their full line of extras for farm implements.
The large building [former armory and roller skating rink—CC ed.] on South Main-st. will be used for their wagons and farm machinery, and also for storage purposes.
FORCED TO THE WALL.
Lynch & Co., Grocers, Close Their Doors—Bill of Sale to Mansur.
On Thursday, March 20, Lynch & Co., grocers, at 10 Main-st., executed a bill of sale conveying their entire stock of goods and the fixtures of their store to E. M. Mansur of the Corner grocery. The store was kept open until the close of business Saturday night, but this morning the doors were closed. Mr. Mansur will remove most of the stock to his store at the corner of Main-st. and Lincoln-ave., and a portion of it has already been sold.
For some time Lynch & Co. have been running behind on their accounts and week before last two of their cheeks went to protest. This caused some of their creditors in whose favor the cheeks were drawn to press their claim and on Mon day last they sent their attorney to Cortland to get a settlement. Lynch & Co. made a small payment on account and promised to send a check for another payment on the next day. This they failed to do. Tuesday another creditor sent a bill to a local attorney for collection. Part of this was paid and Lynch & Co. were sued for the balance the same day. Cobb & Co. of Cortland also had a claim of about $1,500 against the firm, upon which they were getting anxious for settlement.
Will Lynch, who has been conducting the business, attributes the cause of difficulty to slow collections and the urgency of his creditors for settlements.
GANNON-MURPHY.
The Ball Player Returned to Cortland for a Fair Bride.
Bill Gannon, the veteran ball player, who is well known in all the cites of the New York State league circuit, was married yesterday at 1 o'clock at St. Mary's church in this [city] to Miss Katherine Murphy, 2 Taylor-st. They were attended by Miss Mabel Boice and Mr. Patrick Murphy. The bride and groom left last night for parts unknown to spend their honeymoon.
Gannon has been a ball player ever since he was a lad. He has played in the state league ever since the circuit was formed, and for many years he was connected with the Cortland team, playing in the outfield. No one in Cortland questions his ability to play the game and in all the cities of the state league there has never been a player whom the fans would rather see step up to bat when an exhibition of heavy stick work was desired.
Mr. Gannon has signed with Louisville, Ky., for this season.
BREVITIES.
—The Cortland Lodge of Perfection meets tonight at 8 o'clock.
—The large addition to the factory of the Gillette Skirt Co., details of which were given some weeks ago, is now fairly underway and is rapidly approaching completion.
—Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Booth very pleasantly entertained a small company of friends at their home Saturday night in honor of their guests Mr. and Mrs. George E. Cotton of Syracuse. Duplicate whist was played.
—A steamer going to a fire in Syracuse Friday afternoon sunk to the hubs in in mud and it required a dozen men and six horses to get it out, and that too after the engine had been jacked up. Meanwhile the fire was extinguished by a bucket brigade.
—Patrolman E. J. Byrnes has handed to the chief of police, Erving Barnes, his resignation as a policeman of the city of Cortland, which will take effect March 29. Officer Byrnes has been on the force for the past six months.
—New display advertisements today are—M. W. Giles, Special prices, page 7; S. Simmons, Make room sale, page 6; A. S. Burgess, clothing for Easter, page 8; City Cycle Co., Bicycles, page 4; J. W. Cudworth, Optical Talks, page 7; Sager & Jennings, Drugs, etc., page 6; Opera House, "William Worth Bailey, page 5.
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