POPE LEO XIII, KISHINEFF PETITION, RUSSIA IN MANCHURIA, MOTHER JONES COMING, JUDGE DOUGHERTY REFEREE, AND RELIANCE OF CANASOTA

 

 

Pope Leo XIII.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, July 16, 1903.

CHANGED APPEARANCE.

Horrible Word Picture of Pope Leo as He Is Now.

CONDITION WORSE THIS MORNING.

Patient Kept In Almost Complete Seclusion—Last Evening His Holiness Complained of Uneasiness in the Chest, Which He Hoped Would Pass Off in a Few Days.

   London, July 16.—A dispatch from Rome timed 6:50 a. m. says the pope passed a very restless night and his condition this morning is considerably worse.

   Rome, July 16.—One of the doctors in attendance on the pontiff gave the press correspondent a graphic hut horrible word picture of Pope Leo as he appears today.

   That smile, which lighted up the pontiff's face even in extreme age, has disappeared, probably forever. The skin is drawn tightly over the bony framework of his face, leaving the once bright eyes staring dimly from deeply sunken sockets. A grayish pallor overspreads his countenance, but the most noticeable ravage wrought by his present disease is the dropping of the lower jaw, which has made the pope's features take on the fixed rigidity of death.

   Throughout the day the precincts of the Vatican were comparatively quiet, and the immediate vicinity of the sick room showed none of the evidences of agitation and alarm so apparent Tuesday. In marked contrast to previous days the patient was kept in almost absolute seclusion, only one person besides the physicians in immediate attendance gaining admission. This one was Monsignor Pifferi, the pope's confessor. Others came to the ante-chamber, including Cardinals Satolli and Serafino Vannutelli, but they did not press for admission to the sick room, being aware of the doctors' earnest wish to afford the august patient every opportunity of avoiding exertion and mental effort.

   During the day the pope took a slight amount of nourishment. Through the morning he was quite restless, shifting uneasily on his bed and complaining of being unable to secure an easy position. Later he became drowsy and during the afternoon had some sleep. The assembling of the doctors at 5:30, two hours before the usual time, was not due to any alarming turn in the pope's condition, but through the wish to thoroughly go over every detail of the situation. The moderate tone of the bulletin which followed the visit gave an assurance that the patient's condition was practically unchanged.

   In the evening his holiness complained of a slight uneasiness at the chest, but that he has not yet completely given up hope was indicated by his remark that he expected the oppression to pass off in a few days. During the day the pope drank a few drops of the healing waters from the shrine at Lourdes, several bottles of which were sent to the Vatican.

   A local paper bravely announces that from the moment Pope Leo swallowed the water an improvement in his condition became apparent.

   The doctors are well nigh exhausted from their unceasing cares. Dr. Lapponi in particular spends his entire nights as well as days in the sick room.

   The total number of dispatches inquiring about the pope's health received at the Vatican in one day reached 26,000.

 

KISHINEFF PETITION.

Statement Regarding Jewish Committee's Conference With the President.

   New York, July 16.—In accordance with the understanding at Oyster Bay on Tuesday, Leon Levi has given out a statement regarding the conference between the president and the Jewish committee on the Kishineff petition.

   He says: "The conference was entirely satisfactory to us. Our views and those of the president are in perfect accord. It has been decided that it would not be well at present to make public any details of the conference. The returns thus far received indicate that uniformly throughout the country the petition is being signed by the most prominent and representative men.

   "I venture to say that the petition has not been modified in any particular. Our course has the president's full approval and the president's course is in every respect just as we desire it to be. There are no differences of any kind whatsoever, and there has been no receding. It should be distinctly understood that the petition is neither a protest nor a remonstrance. It does not seek to interfere in Russian affairs. Finally it is not a petition by Jews but in behalf of them."

 

RUSSIA IN MANCHURIA.

Abundant Evidence of Intention to Bring More Troops Into the Province.

   Port Arthur, Manchuria, July 16.—The conference of prominent Russian officials ended and the last special train departed for Moscow Tuesday. Exultation over Russia's increasing power in Manchuria was the dominant note in the gathering.

   The possibility of taking any backward steps are scoffed at if mentioned by outsiders. The evidence of the increase of war-like preparations since the arrival of General Kuropatkin, the minister of war, and of the intention to bring more troops to Manchuria is abundant.

   The officials explained that Russia's opposition to opening Manchurian towns to foreigners was not based upon opposition to foreigners whose trade is desired and who would in due time be invited into the country. But Russia objected, they explained, to having consuls accredited to the Chinese government in towns which are practically under Russian control, which would give the subjects of countries so represented the enjoyment of extra-territorial rights. They asserted that such an arrangement would be certain to result in great friction, such as occurred in New Chwang.

 

Mary G. Harris, alias Mother Jones.

MOTHER JONES COMING.

Will Try to Visit President Roosevelt With Her Army.

   Oyster Bay, N. Y., July 19.—Senator Lodge of Massachusetts is spending the day with President Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill. He came in on a forenoon train and was immediately driven out to the Roosevelt home.

   "I am merely making a social call," he said at the railway station, as he stepped from the car platform.

   The news that Mother Jones and her band are headed for Oyster Bay is not received with any demonstrations of joy at the executive offices. Preparations are being quietly made to head off the little army if they attempt to storm Sagamore Hill without first receiving permission to call. If necessary, the little band of secret service men will be reinforced by police and detectives from Brooklyn and New York. President Roosevelt would probably be willing to meet Mother Jones, if she made a request in the usual formal way through Secretary Barnes. The president objects, however, to having his castle ''stormed."

   President and Mrs. Roosevelt and Senator Lodge took a horseback ride along the pretty cove road before luncheon, after the executive had attended to his daily correspondence.

 

SUMMER HOTEL BURNED.

Two Hundred Guests Fled Leaving Clothing and Jewelry.

   Pine Hill, N. Y., July 16.—Mountain Inn, one of the largest hotels in the Catskills, was burned to the ground today. The flames spread so rapidly that the two hundred guests in the building had to abandon their clothing and jewels in order to escape with their lives. The loss in money and valuables, taken with the hotel, will reach over $100,000. The guests, most of whom are from New York, are being cared for at other hotels and cottages in the neighborhood. F. & M. Herbs owned Mountain Inn and it was leased and managed by Thomas Moore.

 

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Experiment in Municipal Ownership.

   The public generally will watch with keen interest the experiment in the municipal ownership and operation of traction lines provided for by the Muller street railway act passed by the last Illinois legislature and now to be put in operation in Chicago.

   Briefly the Muller act empowers any city in Illinois to own, acquire, construct, maintain and operate street railways, or to lease them for periods not longer than twenty years, upon a popular vote accepting the act and a two-thirds vote authorizing the municipal authorities to buy or construct and operate a street railway, and also a two-thirds vote providing for bonds or other certificates of indebtedness to pay for such road, whether by purchase or construction.

   As to fares and terms of leases, the act leaves all to regulation by the city council, except that leases or grants of franchises must not run more than twenty years. The council may make all rules and regulations, including fares, when the city operates the road itself and may incorporate into leases and grants of franchises such terms as it deems for the best interest of the municipality. The act provides also that the street cars may be used to carry parcels and mail as well as passengers. Provision is made for the payment of bonds and for the publication of accounts of municipal railways.

   Naturally the act was opposed by the existing street railway companies in Chicago, but it passed both branches of the legislature by an overwhelming vote and was favored by both the candidates for mayor in the last Chicago election. The Chicago corporations will probably fight to retain their present privileges. But litigation is discouraged by the fact that the Muller bill was carefully drawn by prominent attorneys employed by Chicago and that the legality of its provisions was pronounced valid by the attorney general of the state.

   This is the beginning of perhaps the most important experiment in the municipal control of street railroads yet undertaken in this country, and its success or failure will unquestionably have a marked effect upon the question in other cities.

 

JUDGE DOUGHERTY, REFEREE

In a Peculiar Election Case in the Town of German, N. Y.

   City Judge James Dougherty is the referee in one of the most peculiar election cases that has recently come to notice. The Chenango Sun says of it:

   The office of Charles Clinton, Esq., in Greene was crowded with people Thursday, July 2, attending the trial of the German mandamus case before Judge James Dougherty of Cortland. The case involves the election of a commissioner of highways for the town of German.

   It seems that at the town meeting held in February last but one ticket was in the field and that, the Republican ticket with Carthon H. Goetcheus, candidate for Commissioner of highways. A number of voters were dissatisfied with Mr. Goetcheus and voted in the blank column for V. D. Birdlebough and he was declared elected by two majority. Later Mr. Goetcheus obtained a writ of mandamus requiring a re-count, and on the recount the inspectors declared the result to be a tie. Every step taken seemed to increase the trouble and the parties finally agreed to submit the case to Judge Dougherty. Nearly five hours were spent before the attorneys could agree on the issue to be submitted to the court, but harmony prevailed at last on Mr. Clinton's proposition to submit the entire election returns and all the ballots cast, to the court for determination, and the court to make a certificate of the result, declaring who received the greatest number of votes and this certificate to be followed by the inspectors of election and a certificate of election to be issued accordingly to the person receiving the greatest number of votes.

   This difficulty out of the way the real canvass commenced. Daniel M. Edgerton, town clerk of the town of German, was the first witness. He produced the ballots and it was apparent as soon as the ballots were' opened and examined that a long trial was in store for German people. The ballots were marked in almost every way that could be suggested and but little progress was made before the day was gone. An adjournment was taken to July 7 at the same place. This case is of much interest to election officers and will tend to straighten out many election questions concerning the marking of ballots.

   The attorneys are E. B. Jenks, Esq., of Whitney's Point, for Mr. Goetcheus; H. C. Stratton, Esq., of Oxford for Mr. Birdlebough; and Charles Clinton, Esq., of this village for the town of German. Official stenographer, G. W. Spendley. If you want to learn how to mark your ballot correctly, attend this trial.

   On July 7 the hearing was continued and a further adjournment was taken to July 27.

 

RELIANCE OF CANASTOTA, N. Y.

To Play the All-Cortland Team on Athletic Field Saturday.

   The Reliance semi-professional [baseball] team of Canastota will play the All-Cortland team at Athletic field Saturday afternoon, the game being called at 3:30 o'clock. Several changes will be made in the makeup of the team and every endeavor will be made to strengthen the weak places in the team displayed by yesterday's game with the Binghamton Stars.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The Columbian Rope company of Auburn, N. Y., was incorporated with a capital of $600,000.

   —The Knights of Pythias state convention will be held in Binghamton beginning July 28.

   —During the seven days ending July 7 the Auburn & Syracuse Electric road carried 11,163 passengers the whole length of the line.

   —The new display advertisements today are—A. S. Burgess, Clothing, page 8; G. H. Wiltsie, Dry goods, page 5; M. W. Giles, Clearing sale, page 8; L. & K. Freeman, Millinery, page 5; F. Daehler, Elk ties, page 5.