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| David Lloyd George. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, March 21, 1902.
WARM IN COMMONS.
Debate Was Filled With Personal Exchanges.
Welsh Nationalist Bitterly Attacked Government—Called Interruption by Conservative "An Insolent Remark." Another Altercation—Mr. Brodrick Defends War Office.
London. March 21.—John Dillon, Irish Nationalist, was suspended in the house of commons for calling the colonial secretary Joseph Chamberlain "a damned liar."
The ejection of Mr. Dillon did not serve to clear the atmosphere, and the remainder of the debate was filled with personal allusions and unpleasant exchanges, the nature of which would have excited comment had they not been discounted by the first explosion.
David Lloyd-George (Welsh Nationalist), bitterly attacked the government, drawing a harrowing picture of the conditions in South Africa and charged the war office with pigeon-holing important information.
Sir Charles Cayzer, Conservative, interrupted Mr. Lloyd-George, saying that the speaker was playing to the pro-Boers, whereupon Mr. Lloyd-George characterized the interruption as "an insolent remark." This caused confusion in the house and cries of "withdraw."
John Redmond, leader of the Irish party in the house of commons, appealed to the chair and Sir Charles reluctantly withdrew his statement.
W. R. Plummer, Conservative, and Mr. Redmond then had an altercation, and after more disorder Mr. Lloyd-George succeeded in finishing with the remark that he did not know who was responsible for all the errors and incompetency in South Africa, but that the men who had profited by these conditions now sat upon the government benches.
Mr. Brodrick, the secretary of state for war, answered Mr. Lloyd-George with a long defense of the war office.
During the discussion in the house of commons Mr. Brodrick and Mr. Chamberlain showed themselves to be very hopeful over the position of affairs in South Africa. Mr. Chamberlain estimated there were still 9,000 fighting Boers in the field.
This optimism is rather offset by the fact that the government has again telegraphed Australia, inviting that commonwealth to send 2,000 more men to South Africa.
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| General Nelson A. Miles. |
DENIES PRESS REPORT.
General Miles Says He Was Misrepresented.
TALKS WITH SENATE COMMITTEE.
President and Secretary Root in Conference—Secretary Says He is Sorry General Mills is Opposed to Creation of General Staff—Shows Its Advantages.
Washington, March 21.—The news of General Miles' statements before the military committee of the senate excited great interest at the war department. When it became known there late in the day there was a very general inquiry as to whether by passing the criticisms upon various officials as reported in the press, General Miles had not exposed himself to disciplinary treatment. The answer to this must be based on the exact amount of privilege which attaches to the testimony given before a committee of congress. This question arose last week in the course of General Hughes' testimony before the senate Philippine committee when the general sought to escape answering questions which would involve criticism by him of his superior officer General Otis.
It appeared that there was a variance of opinion in the committee itself as to how far General Hughes was at liberty to violate army rules and proprieties, even in answer to committee questions and the question itself was left unsettled.
While General Miles did not expect when he gave his testimony, that it would be made public in any form, he is now willing that it shall be published by the committee, he himself making the broad statement that the statements which were given to the press, as those made by himself before the committee, were misrepresentations, totally unwarranted and unauthorized.
The omission by the president of his usual ride in the afternoon and the fact that he and Secretary Root were in conference for nearly four hours, led to the supposition that they were discussing General Miles' testimony. This, however, was an r erroneous conclusion, for they were talking about an army regulation and the secretary was unaware of the testimony until he returned to the war department very late in the afternoon.
Secretary Root exhibited little feeling when his attention was called to the proceedings before the committee. He remarked quietly that he was very sorry Lieutenant General Miles opposed this bill. He pointed out that under section 7 of which General Miles complained, the lieutenant general would have greatly enlarged powers in army management, instead of being restricted in his functions, as he supposed. As to the question whether General Miles had said anything which would require action at the hands of the department or the president, the secretary firmly declined to express any opinion, for the present at least, preferring to await an official copy of the committee hearing before reaching any decision.
To Stop Shipment of Mules.
Washington, March 21.—Representative Ryan handed President Roosevelt a copy of the resolutions adopted at a meeting held in Buffalo, March 2, expressing sympathy with the Boers, and calling on the government of the United States to put an end to the shipment of mules from New Orleans to South Africa. The president said that he would give them consideration.
PAGE FOUR—BRIEF EDITORIAL.
Organized Robbery.
The robberies perpetrated on the people by trusts are daily becoming more insolent and outrageous. And among the most insolent and outrageous are the exactions extorted from the newspapers by the paper trust. The Illinois Press association recently stated these exactions as follows:
The paper trust by a prohibitory tariff on raw material, and a combination of the pulp and paper mills, producing 85 per cent of the annual consumption of news print in the United States, has at times advanced prices over 100 per cent by exterminating competition, through a monopoly of over 250,000 horse power of available water power adjacent to over 2,600,000 acres of spruce timber. The paper trust exacts from the American publishers in excess of a legitimate profit on the value of its property, over $5,000,000 each year. The paper trust secured by false representations before the Ways and Means committee increased and prohibitory tariff duties, which caused Canada to retaliate with an export duty on wood and wood pulp for the manufacture of American printing paper, and thus give the paper trust a monopoly of cheap pulp.
The public interest and the interests of the country are most seriously involved by another way. The effect of the wood pulp tax is to hasten the destruction of American spruce forests, already seriously encroached upon by the demands of the paper-making industry for this necessary raw material. Across the Canadian border and in Norway and other northern countries there are immense forests of spruce from which, but for our duty, our supply would be drawn. The tax is in effect a premium upon the destruction of American forests.
THE HOUSE EXAMINATION.
DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE
In Causing the Death of George Bennett—Examination Conducted Before Justice Miller at Marathon, N. Y.—Crowds in Attendance—Three Witnesses for Prosecution Testified This Forenoon.
The examination of Orson A. House, John C. House and John H. House, charged with murder in the first degree in shooting George Bennett of Homer at their home in Lapeer, N. Y., on the night of March 3, and this causing his death on March 8, was begun at 10 o'clock this morning before Justice of the Peace John H. Miller at the town hall at Marathon, N. Y. The three defendants were escorted from the county jail to Marathon this morning by Sheriff A. R. Overton.
When the appointed hour had come the town hall was crowded to suffocation. There was not even standing room remaining. All the farmers of the surrounding country were on hand. At noon today twenty wagons stood about a blacksmith shop near the hall and it seemed as though all the horses that had lost a shoe or had loose shoes or were likely to need attention soon were being cared for today while the owners were attending the examination. The yards about the three hotel stables were crowded with wagons. A few ladies were present.
The prosecution was represented by District Attorney T. H. Dowd; the defendants by State Comptroller N. L. Miller and H. E Wilson of Marathon. H. L. Bronson of Cortland was also present in the interest of Mrs. Bennett in the civil action now pending to recover $10,000 damages from the three Houses for the loss of Mr. Bennett's life, but he had no part in the proceedings today. County Clerk O. D. Patrick was also an interested spectator, but was not present in an official capacity.
Before the examination began it was agreed between the attorneys that the depositions upon which warrants were issued for the arrest of the Houses should be admitted without question as evidence. The cross examination of witnesses was then begun.
SHERIFF OVERTON.
Sheriff Overton was the first witness called. In response to questions by N. L. Miller he testified in substance as follows: My attention was first called to the matter of the shooting on Tuesday morning, March 4, by R. J. Rounds, a deputy sheriff of Marathon. I took the first train for Marathon and went directly to the House farm, where I arrived at about 2 P. M. I saw the three defendants and had some conversation with them. The deputy sheriff was present with me. No one else was present on this occasion. The defendants showed us the premises, and pointed out different places about the buildings. The information which they gave us was given voluntarily and in response to questions. They were perfectly willing to give us all the information asked for, and there appeared to be no attempt at concealment on their part. I took no notes of anything that occurred, nor of any conversation, neither did Mr. Rounds. I was at the House premises nearly an hour, and there may have been considerable said at the time that does not appear in my deposition.
The defendants asked if Bennett was dead, and I replied that he was in the hospital, and the doctors thought that they could save his leg, but that he would have a stiff knee. I did not convey to them any idea that Bennett was in danger of death. Nothing was said in my presence at the hospital before I came to Marathon as to the probability of Bennett's recovery. Before going to Marathon I went to the hospital, where I arrived at 8 or 8:30. Dr. Dana was there, and Attorney Edmond C. Alger accompanied me as a representative of the district attorney. There was no attempt made at this time to reduce to writing any statements made by Bennett nor was anything said concerning his condition. I went to Marathon and to the hospital for the county to see what Bennett had to say and to determine if possible the cause of the shooting. I understand the necessity and the purpose of an ante mortem statement but did not go to the hospital for the purpose of obtaining such a statement from Mr. Bennett.
Sheriff Overton then described the condition in which he found Bennett at the hospital and the appearance of the wounds.
DEPUTY SHERIFF ROUNDS.
Deputy Sheriff Rounds was the next witness called. Mr. Rounds is a resident of Marathon. He stated that the matter was first called to his attention on the morning of March 4 at about 2:30 o'clock. He was at home and in bed at the time. Testifying, he said I immediately went to the office of Dr. Field and found there Dr. Parsons, John H. House and George Bennett. I remained at the house about one-half hour, and then went for Dr. Baker. After Bennett had his wounds attended to, he was carried to the Marathon House on a cot, where he remained until it was nearly time for the morning train to Cortland.
Mr. Rounds came to Cortland with Dr. Field and left Bennett in charge of Dr. Field at the station while he went for Fred Bennett, a brother-in-law. Fred Bennett accompanied him to the station, and George Bennett was put into an ambulance about 7:30 and taken to the hospital. Rounds did not accompany Bennett to the hospital, but went directly to the sheriff's office and notified Sheriff Overton.
Referring to the condition of Bennett as he found him at Dr. Field's office, Mr. Rounds said: He was lying on a cot in Dr. Field's kitchen. The doctor dressed the wound and bandaged it using splints, and Bennett was then taken to the hotel. Witness testified to examining the clothing that Bennett wore on that occasion. The clothing had been removed except his shirt and had been placed in an adjoining room. He examined the pockets to see if he could find in them anything to throw light upon the shooting.
Bennett had worn a pair of dark trousers, dark coat, felt boots, well worn drawers and stockings. He did not see any vest nor did Bennett have any overcoat that he could find. In searching the clothes he found some nails in one pocket, a piece of coal and some clams. The piece of coal was about as large as his fist and was in his right hand coat pocket. Witness did not keep the piece of coal and did not know what had become of it after Bennett was brought to Cortland. He has all the clothes in his possession except Bennett's coat and did not keep the piece of coal, as it did not occur to him at the time that it might be of any importance. He did not find a knife in any of the pockets. There were three or four clams, neither were these kept. In his opinion the man was very lightly clothed, as it was freezing that night.
The witness then described the location of the House' premises, and gave details of his visit to the place with Sheriff Overton. The House farm is about 2 1/2 miles west of Marathon in the town of Lapeer. Photographs of the buildings and surroundings were offered in evidence and marked for identification. The witness described finding traces of blood in the outhouse, and identified it by a photograph. The holes through the sides [of the outhouse] he stated were evidently made by bullets fired from the second story window of the house. The outhouse was about 2 1/2 rods from the House dwelling. He looked through the holes in the side and the only part in the dwelling that could be seen was this window from which he inferred that the shots had been fired from there. Two bullet holes were found about four feet from the ground which went through both sides of the outbuilding. A third hole was found about two feet from the ground and this was through only one side of the building. When he visited the premises about 2 P. M. on Tuesday, March 4, he discovered no evidence of any attempt to remove traces of blood or anything that would show what had taken place. The Houses were with them when they visited the premises. The witness then described two broken windows which he discovered, and said it appeared to him that they had been broken from the outside, as pieces of glass were found lying on the floor within. The witness did not visit the premises again until he went with the sheriff to arrest the defendants and had not been there since that time until yesterday. The defendants answered freely all questions asked by the sheriff and Mr. Rounds when they were there to examine the premises.
DR. H. T. DANA.
Dr. H. T. Dana was next called. He testified that he attended George Bennett on the morning of March 4 at the Cortland hospital. He found two external wounds on the right leg, one on the inside about on a level with the kneepan, circular in shape, tearing the skin and tissues, and about three eighths of an inch in diameter. The wound on the inside of the leg was about twice as large with somewhat irregular edges. He attended the patient continually until his death, which occurred on Saturday, March 8. He was with him on Saturday and at the time of his death. In his opinion death was caused by the effects of the gunshot wound which he has described. The amputation was performed between 9 and 10 o'clock in the morning and the patient died about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The conditions were such that he considered the only chance of recovery was through an operation. Referring to the wound he said it was caused by the bullet.
Adjournment was then taken until 1 o'clock this afternoon. It was hardly believed that the examination could be concluded today.
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