Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

la ^ 2i SYNOPSIS. Howard Jeffries, banker's son, under the fvil Influence of Robert Underwood, fellow-student at Yale, leads a life of dis sipation, marries the daughter of a gam bler who died In prison, and Is disowned by his father. He is out of work and in desperate straits. Underwood, who had once been engaged to Howard's step mother, Alicia, Is apparently in prosper . ous circumstances. Taking advantage of his Intimacy with Alicia, he becomes a ort of social highwayman. Discovering his true character, Alicia denies him the house. He sends her a note threatening suicide. Art dealers for whom he acted a* commissioner, demand an accounting. He cannot make good. Howard calls at his apartments in an intoxicated condi tion to request a loan of $2,000 to enable him to take up a business proposition. Howard drinks himself into a maudlin condition, and goes to sleep on a divan. A caller is announced and Underwood draws a screen around the drunken sleeper. Alicia enters. She demands a promise from Underwood that he will not take his life. He refuses unless she will renew her patronage. This she refuses, and takes her leave. Underwood kills himself. The report of the pistol awa kens Howard. He finds Underwood dead. Howard Is turned over to the Rollce. Capt Clinton, notorious for his brutal treatment of prisoners, puts Howard through the third degree, and finally gets an alleged confession from the harassed man. Annie, Howard's wire, aeciarea n? belief in ner husband's Innocence, and calls on 'Jeffries, Sr. H* refuses to help unless she will consent to a divorce. To save Howard she consento. but when she finds that the elder Jeffries does not in tend to stand by his son. except finan cially, she scorns his help. Annie appeals to Judge Brewster, attorney for Jeffries. Sr., to take Howard's case. He declines. It is reported that Annie is going on the Bt&ge. The banker and his wife call on Judge Brewster to find some way to pre vent It. Annie again pleads with Brew ster tQ defend Howard. He con ents. Alicia is greatly alarmed when she learns from Annie that Brewster has taken the case. She con fesses to Annie that she called on Under wood the night of his death, and that she has his letter In which he threatened sui cide, but begs for time before giving out the information. Annie promises Brew t*r to produce the missing woman at a meeting at his home. Brewster accuses Clinton of forcing a confession from Howard. Annie appears wuuuui c*i*r r??w ness and refuses to give the name. Alicia arrives. Capt. Clinton declares Annie has tricked them. Alicia hands him Under wood's letter. Annie lets Clinton believe the letter was written to her. She is ar rested. CHAPTER XIX. The Jeffries case suddenly entered Into an entirely new phase, and once more was deemed of sufficient public Interest to warrant column after col umn of spicy comment in the news papers. The town awoke one morn ing to learn that the long-sought-for witness, the mysterious woman on whose testimony everything hinged, had not only been found.but proved to be the prisoner's own wife, who had been so active in his defense. This announcement was stupefying enough to overshadow all other news of the' day, and satisfied the most jaded palate for sensationalism. The first question asked on all sides was: Why had not the wife come for ward before? The reason, as glibly ?nl.lnnJ Kir on nvanlncr Innrnnl nf CA^jiaiucu %jj ?? v?? ? w. somewhat yellow proclivities, was log ical enough. The telling of her mid night visit to a single man's rooms involved a shameful admission which aoy woman might well hesitate to make unless forced to it as a last extremity. Confronted, however, wtth the alternative of either seeing her husband suffer for a crime of which he was innocent or making public ac knowledgment of her own frailty, she had chosen the latter course. Nat urally, ii meant divorce from the bank er's son, and undoubtedly this was the solution most wished for by the family. The whole unsavory affair conveyed a good lesson to reckless young men of wealth to avoid entangling them se'lves In undesirable matrimonial ad ventures. But It was no less certain, went on this journalistic mentor, that this wife, unfaithful as she had proved herself to be, had really rendered her husband a signal service in her pres ent scrape. The letter she had pro duced, written to her by Underwood the day beiore his death, in which he stated bits determination to kill him self, was, of course, a complete vindi cation for the man awaiting trial. His liberation now depended only on how quickly the ponderous machinery of the law could take cognizance of this new and irost important evidence. The new turn of affairs was nat urally most distasteful to the police. If there was one thing more than another which angered Capt. Clinton it was to take the trouble to build up a case only to have it suddenly, demol ished. He scoffed at the "suicide let ter," safely committed to Judge Brew ster's custody, and openly branded it as a forgery concocted by an immoral woman for the purpose of defeating the ends of justice. He kept Annie a prisoner and defied the counsel for the defense to do their worst. Judge Brewster, who loved the fray, accept ed the challenge. He acted promptly. He secured Annie's release on habeas corpus proceedings and, his civil suit against the city having already begun In the courts, he suddenly called Capt. Clinton to the stand and gave him a grilling which more than atoned for any which the police tyrant had pre viously made his victims suffer. in the limelight of a sensational trial, in which public servants were charged with abusing positions of trust, he showed Capt. Clinton up as a bully and a grafter, a bribe-taker, working hand and glove with dishonest politicians, not hesitating even to divide loot with thieves and dive-keepers in his greed for wealth. He proved him to be a consummate liar, a man who would stop at nothing to gain his own ends. What jury would take the word of such a man as this? Yet this was the man who still insisted that Howard Jeffries was guilty of the shooting of Robert Underwood! But public opinion was too intelli gent to be hoodwinked for any length of time ty a brutal and ignorant po >, licen-sn There was a clamor for the ^CHARLES KLI f AND ARTHUR HOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY RA3 COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY O.W. DILLINGHAM COIVAHY Placed the Rolls and prisoner's release. The evidence was such that further delay was inexcus able. The district attorney, thus urged, took an active interest in the case, and after going over the new evi dence with Judge Brewster, went be fore the court and made formal ap plication for the dismissal of the com plaint. A few days later Howard Jef fries left the Tombs amid the cheers of a crowd assembled outside. At his side walked his wife, now smiling through tears of joy. It was a glad home-coming to the little flat in Harlem. ,To Howard, aft er spending so long a time in the narrow prison quarters, it seemed like paradise, and Annie walked on air, so delighted was she to have him with her again. Yet there were still anxi eties to cloud their happiness. The close confinement, with its attendant worry, had seriously undermined How ard's health. He was pale and atten uated and ro weak that he had sev eral fainting spells. Much alarmed, Annie summoned Dr. Bernstein, who administered a tonic.- There was noth ing to cause anxiety, he said, reas suringly. It was a natural reaction after what her husband had under gone. But it was worry as much as anything else. Howard worried about his father, with whom he was only partially reconciled; he worried about his future, which was as pre carious as ever, and most of all he worried about his wife. He was not ignorant of the circumstances which had brought about his release, and while liberty was sweet to him, it had been a terrible shock when he first heard that she was the woman who had visited Underwood's rooms. He refused to believe her sworn evidence. How was it possible? Why should she go to Underwood's rooms knowing he was there? It was preposterous. Still , the small voice rang in his ears?per haps she's untrue! It haunted him till one day he asked point-blank for an explanation. Then she told that she had perjured herself. She was not tho wnmnn Who shft reallv was? she I could not say. He must be satisfied for the present with the assurance that it was not his wife. With that he was content. What did he care for the opinion of others? He knew?that was enough; In their conversation on the subject Annie did not even men tion Alicia's name. Why should she?" Weeks passed, and Howard's health did not improve. He had tried to find a position, but without success, yet every day brought its obligations which had to be met. One morning Annie was bustling about their tiny dining room preparing the table for their frugal luncheon. She had just placed the rolls and butter on the table, and arranged the chairs, when there came a ring at the front door bell. Early visitors were not so in frequent as to cause surprise, so, with out waiting to remove her apron, she went to the door and opened it. Dr. Bernstein entered. "Good morning, Mrs. Jeffries," he said, cheerily. Putting down his medi cal bag. he asked: "How is our pa tient this morning?" "All right, doctor. He had a splen did night's rest. I'll call him." "Never mind, I want to talk to you." Seriously, he went on: "Mrs. Jeffries, your husband needs a change of scene. He's worrying. That fainting spell the other day was only a symptom. I'm afraid he'll break down unless?" "Unless what?" she demanded, anx iously. He hesitated for a moment, as if un willing to give utterance to words he knew must inflict pain. Then he quickly continued: "Your husband is under a great mental strain. His inability to" sup port you, his banishment from his proper sphere in the social world is mental torture to him. He feels his position keenly. There is nothing else to occupy his mind but thoughts of his utter and complete failure in life. I was talking to his father last night, and?" KSAffitMUWE OPF EtfOMDOmOTTAK HQDTI f WALTERS Butter on the Table. "And what?" ing herself up. was coming, and nerved meet it. "Now. don't regard me as an enemy, she demanded, draw She suspected what herself to said the doctor in a conciliatory i tone. "Mr. Jeffries inquired after his son. Believe me, he's very anxious. { He knows he did the boy a great in justice, and he wants to make up j for it." 1 "Oh, ue does?" 6he exclaimed, sar- j castlcally. i ( Dr.Bern/stein hesitated for a moment 1 before replying. Then he said, lightly: "Suppose Howard goes abroad for a few months with his father and ] mother?" I "Is that the proposition?" she de- < manded. 1 The doctor nodded. . I "I believe Mr. Jeffries has already < spoken about it to his son," he said. ] Annie choked back a sob and, cross- t ing the room to conceal her emotion, ] stood with her back tinned, looking 1 out of the window. Her voice was 1 trembling as she said: i "He wants to separate ua, I know. ? He'd give half his fortune to do it. Perhaps he's not altogether wrong. 1 Things do look pretty black for me, don't they? Everybody believes that my going to see Underwood that night 1 had something to do with his suicide and led to my husband being falsely accused. The police built up a fine ro- i mance about Mr. Underwood and me ?and the newspapers! Every other day a reporter comes and asks us 1 when the divorce Is going to take place?and who Is going to institute < the proceedings, Howard or me. If Avprvhodv would onlv mind their own < business and let us alone be might forget Oh, I don't mean you, doctor. You're my friend. You made short work of Capt. Clinton and his confes sion.' I mean people?outsiders? strangers?who don't know us, and don't care whether we're alive or dead; those are the people I mean. They buy a one-cent paper and they think it gives them the right to pry into every detail of our lives." She paused for a moment, and then went on: "So you think Howard is worrying? I think, so, too. At first I thought It was because of the letter Mr. Under wood wrote me, but I guess it's what you say. His old friends won't have anything to do with him and?he's lonely. Well, I'll talk it over with him?" "Yes?talk it over with him." "Did you promise his father you'd ask me?" she demanded. "No?not exactly," he replied, hesi tatingly. Annie looked at him frankly. "Howard's a pretty good fellow to stand by me in the face of all that's -mm ?** A Polytheist. "When the late Bishop Foss was president of Amenia seminary," said an aged Methodist of Philadelphia, "I cnce heard him deliver an interesting Easter address on heathenism and idolatry. "Bishop Foss showed us, with a lit tle story, the bad effect that the many gods of polytheism has upon the mind. "He said a Little English boy living in India was rebuked by his mother for telling a falsehood. " 'God, if you tell falsehoods, will be very angry with you,' said the mother. " 'Very well,' the youngster an swered. 'Then 1 will change my god.'" seine: said about my character, Isn't le, doctor? And I'm not going to stand in his light, even if it doesn't ;xactly make me the happiest woman n the world, but don't let it trickle nto yotir mind that I'm doing it for lis father's sake." At that moment Howard entered rom the inner room. He was sur prised to see Dr. Bernstein. "How do you feel to-day?" asked tbe loctor. "First rate! Oh, I'm all right. You see, I'm just going to eat a bite. Won't pou join us?" He sat down at the table and picked jp the newspaper, while Annie busied lerself with carrying in the dishes. "No, thank you," laughed the doctor. 'It's too early for me. I've only just lad breakfast. I dropped in to see low you were." Taking up his bag, le said: "Good-by! Don't get up. I :an let myself out." But Annie had already opened the ioor for him, and smiled a farewell. CVhen she returned to her 6eat at the lead of the table, and began to pour jut the coffee, Howard said: "He's a pretty decent fellow, isn't le?" "Yes." she replied, absent-mindedly, is she passed a cup of coffee. "He made a monkey of Capt. Clin :on all light," went on Howard. "What lid he come for?" "To see you?of course," she re plied. "Oh, I'm all right now," he replied. Looking anxiously at his wife across ;he table, he said: "You're the one ;hat needs tuning up. I heard you :rying last night. You thought I was isleep, but I wasn't. I didn't ?ay any :hing because?well?I felt kind of jlue myself." Annie sighed and leaned her head >n her hand. Wearily she said: "I was thinking over all that we've )een through together, and what ;hey're saying about us?" Howard threw down his newspaper mpatlently. "Let them say what they like. Why should we care as long as we're lappy?" His wife smiled sadly. "Are we happy?" she asked, gently. "Of course we are," replied How ird. She looked up and smiled. It was ;ood to hear him say so, but did he nean it? Was she doing right to stand in the way of his career? Would le not be happier if she left him? He was too loyal to suggest it, but per laps in his heart he desired it. Look ng at him tenderly, she went on: "I don't question your affection for me, Howard. I believe you love me, but I'm afraid that, sooner or later, you'll ask yourself the question all rour friends are asking now, the ques tion everybody seems to be asking." "What question?" demanded How ird. "Yesterday the bell rang and a gen tleman said he wanted to se6 you. I :oiu uiiu juu wcic uutf auu 00 saia [*d do Just as well. He handed me a :ard. On it was the name of the news paper he represented." "Well?" "He asked me If It were true that proceedings for a divorce were about to be instituted. If so, when? And :ould I give him any information on :he subject? I asked him who wanted the information ,and he said the read ers of his paper?the people?I believe tie said over a million of them. Just think, Howard! Over a million peo ple, not counting your father, your friends and relations, all waiting to know why you don't get rid of me, ivhy you don't believe me to be as bad is they think I am?" Howard raised his hand for her to desist. "Annie?please!" he pleaded. "That's the fact, isn't It?" she aughed. "No." His wife's head dropped on the table. 3he was crvine: now. "I've made a hard fight, Howard," jhe gobbed, "but I'm going to give up. !'m through?I'm through!" Howard took hold of her hand and carried it to his lips. "Annie, old girl," he said, with some 'eeling, "I may be weak, I may be jlind, but nobody on top df God's green sarth can tell me that you're not the squarest, straightest little woman that ;ver lived! I don't care a damn what )ne million or eight million think. Supposing you had received letters Tom Underwood, supposing you had rone to hi6 rooms to beg him not to rill himself?what of It? It would be 'or a good motive, wouldn't it? Let hem talk all the bad of you they want, don't believe a word of it?you know : don't." She looked up and smiled through ler tears. "You're so good, dear," she ex :laimed. "Yes, I know you believe in ne." She stopped and continued, sad 011 f wnn'rn rtnlv a Knv vaii lrnnw J ' jwu ?*; ""V a uvj, " irVhat of the future, the years to :ome?" Howard's face became se ious, and she went on: "You see rou've thought about it, too, and you're rying to hide it from me. But you :an't. Your father wants you to go ibroad with the family." "Well?" (TO BR CONTINUED.) Recovery of Lost Standards. "A curious experiment was once nade to determine whether a lost standard could be recovered by purely personal efforts. The assumption was nade that the standard of length was ost. One hundred operatives and oth ers accustomed to dealing with meas irements were asked to give by est! nate their ideas of what the given standard was?in other words, to ;uess at length of the meter. It was ound that the guesses were most ac curate for lengths of about six inches ?that small lengths were underesti naied and larger ones were overesti mated. Taking the average of the LOO subjects the result varied but a ew one thousandths from the truth. JEMENT HELP THE GOOD ROAD MEN ARE IN FAVOR OF AID FROM THE GOV ERNMENT. OFFICERS WERE REELECTED Legislature to Improve the Highways is Discussed at the Annual Conven tion of the State Association.?Sev ?ral Oth?r Matters Considered. Coumbia.?Ways and means to Improve the highways of the state were discussed at the opening session of the South Carolina Goods Roads Association, held in the Richland county court house. Over 60 delegates from practically every county in the state were in attendance. Besides the members of the association, several members of the general assembly at tended the opening session. The meeting was called to order by F. H. Hyatt, of Columbia, president. The delegates were welcomed to the city in a happy manner by Mayor Gibbes. He told of some road prob lems encountered since the last an nual convention of the association. He told of a trip through the lower sec tions of the state and through the New England states Among the questions discussed were the highway commission bill, pending before the general assembly, methods of permanent improvements and government aid for the building of public highways. The second session of the conven tion was held when a general discus sion of road subjects was held. The subject of government aid for the building of permanent highways re ceived much attention and the associ ation adopted resolutions favoring such a law. Old Soldiers Pass To Great Beyond. Columbia.?Two more soldiers of the Old Soldiers' home have answer ed their last roll call and passed over the river to await the coming of their comrades. J. L. McClintock of Ches ter, a member of Company F, Sixth regiment, South Carolina Vounteers, born October 10, 1835, died at the Soldiers' home. He entered the ser vice of the Confederate States army in I8t>i ana was a rauniui ana gal lant soldier. His remains were sent to Richburg. John A. Smith, of Lex ington, a member of" Company x H, Third South Carolina Volunteers, Kershaw's brigade, born October 15, 1841, also died at the Soldiers' home. He entered the service of the Con federate States army in 1861 and served faithfully during the entire war. Will Soon Be Ready For Campaign. Newberry.?The county committee, consisting of B. C. Matthews, W. E. Wallace and W. C. Brown, has gone to work in earnest for the "Rock Hill nan 01 reducing me couon acreage. They have practically provided for the necessary funds for the county canvass, and will announce the ap pointment of canvassers in a few days. A mass mating? of the farmeri of Newberry ciranty was held here to discuss the matter and take some action. The County Farmers' union heartily endorsed the plan. Roads Are In A Bad Condition. Laurens.?According to reports, the roads of this county are in the worst condition in several years. While It Is impossible for the county super visor to relieve the situation to any appreciable extent in the matter ol running road drags over them, it is understood that the rural letter car riers are taking up the proposition with their patrons with the result that many of them have agreed to drag the roads for a few miles In their im mediate vicinity Two Postmasters Are Named. Washington.?President Taft named Wilmot L. Harris for another term aa postmaster at Charleston, and R. M. Gettys at Blacksburg. Mr. Harris' present term will not expire for sev eral days, but his new commission will he sent him as soon as he is con firmed. Plans for Second Chautauqua Week. Newberry.?Plans are now being made for Newberry's second Chautau qua week. The first Chautauqua week last June was an unqualified success and there is no reason to doubt that Newberry's Chautauqua of 1912 will be an even greater success. There were thirty-two guarantors In ths Chautauqua Association of last year. Considerably more than a majority of these members have already signed an agreement to continue the Associ ation for this year and to guarantee the expenses. A Most Tragic Accident. unester.?une 01 tne saaaest ana most tragi; happenings in the comi ty in recent months was the accident al shooting of young William Wherry at his home at Lewis Turnout several days ago by his brother, James. The boys were engaged in shooting at a mark in the yard with a number of companions when the accident oc curred. James, who is 13 years old, was standing on the steps of his pa rents' house and William was stoop ing down in the yard, when the rifle in the hands of James was discharged. To Put On A Regular Schedule. Saluda. ? The announcement is made by President W. J. Montgom ery that it is the purpose of the Au gusta Northern to put on a regular schedule from Wards to Saluda in a Tew days. A second locomotive has been purchased and for some time tw o passenger coaches have been on the siding at Attaway, two miles from this town. Within two days the grading will be completed and there is less than a miie of track to 'u- laid. The depot in Saluda is be ng rapidly rushed to completion. NEWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA News That Has Been Gotten From Many Towns and Counties From Over the State. Newberry. ? A meeting was held here for organizing the Boys' Com club, which is composed of fcoys be tween the ages of 10 and 18. Westminster.?In the municipal election held here Dr. Walker was elected mayor. The aldermen elect ed are: J. H. Stonecypher, H. B. Gil bert, S. A. Diilard, D. G. Sheldon, W. S Pritcnard, M S. Stribling. Orangeburg.?The banks of Orange burg have declared dividends and started out on another year with bright prospects. The Bank of Or angeburg has a capital of $100,000, Burplus $90,000 and has issued a stock dividend of $50,000, the bank having been originally capitalized at $50,000. Greenwood.?M. F. Sanders, a prominent buslnes man of this place, committed suicide by shooting him self In the rirfht temple with a 38-cal ibre pistol. /That the act was pre meditated is evidenced by the fact that he left a note to J. B. Haltiwan ger instructing where to find his body. Charleston.?Engineer Joseph G. Meyer of the towboat Protector has re turned to Charleston from Detroit where he attended the convention oi the National Association of Marine Engineers, making a successful fight to bring the next meeting of this as sociation to Charleston next January. Orangeburg?Isham F. Ritter, fa ther of Tillman Ritter, deceased, has filed suit against the Atlantic Coast Line railroad, throueh his attorneys, Raysor & Summers, for the death oi his son, in amount $2,995. Young Rit ter was killed while crossing the rattroad in a wagon in front as approaching engine on March 15, lslO Camden?Chief of Police Benjamir Haile has sent in his resignation tc take effect on the 1st of February' Mr. Haile has been chief of polic< since he was 22 years of age, hay ing served seventeen years. He is s fearless officer and his word is law especially among negroes. His ability as a detective is well known here. Charleston.?At the meeting of citj council, Alderman Pinckney broughi in tViq mottor nf thp Wim plaint against the recent alleged in adequate water service and the higi price of lighting, and after some dis cussion a special committee was ap pointed to give immediate attentioi to a municipal light and water com pany Orangeburg.?John D. Hungerpillei of this city has been arrested on i warrant charging him with burnini the house of Frank Champy in th< lower Fork section of brangebun county. Hungerpiller denies the ac cusation. He has been released up on a $200 bond to appear before Judg< Charles P. Brunson of the magistrate court for a preliminary hearing. H< has employed counsel. Lancaster.?Lancaster is graduallj recovering from the effects of the re cent icy grip in which she was, foi several days, held snowbound ant tight. Fallen telegraph and telephon< poles and wires are rapidly being pm back into commission. The splendic phone service, although for a short time almost completely paralyzed, ii all right again and telephone com munlcation is as good as ever Laurens.?Owing to the recent in clement weather, work on the cow house has not made much progresi this month. At the time the contrac was awarded it was understood tha the building should be completed bj January, but delays of one kind and another have made this part of th< contract impracticable. With favor able weather conditions, however, th< work can be prosecuted rapidly am complefed in a few weeks at the out side. > Clinton. ? Great excitement wai aroused here by the discovery of i murdered man on the C., N. & L. rail road track on the eastern edge o: town. Paul J. Moore, a well known ne gro merchant was the murdered mai and he had apparently been killec with an axe. Whether he was placet on the track to create the impressior that he was killed by a train can no XJta t^Vi -tiro < ue Biateu i?uoiuici.i>. nu n?vu ttu. gone and his pockets were empty The coroner's jury adjourned withou' a verdict. Columbia. ? The South Cardlisj Good Roads Association held a mos! successful meeting here in the Rich land county court house, with dele gates from every county in the state being present, there being over flftj in the hall when President Hyatt call ed the convention to order. Rock Hill.?Laurens, Edgefield anc Marion counties have swung into line under the banner of the '"Rock Hill Plan" with financial arrangements completed are properly placed to put canvassers in the field at once, ac cording to reports received by Mr Anderson. Columbia.?The first brick on the first building to be erected at State Park was laid by E. H. Aull, secre tary of the asylum commission. The building will be rushed to completion at an early date and will accommo date 150 negro patients. Newberry.?The County Teachers' Association was well attended. In addition to the teachers, a numoer or school trustees were present. Miss Lelia Russell of Winthrop college made an instructive and inspiring talk on school improvement, with ref erence to better school houses and more attractive grounds. Saluda.?The jury in the action condemning certain lands of G. P. Trotter in this town for right of way for the railroad after short delibera tion allowed a verdict of $75. Trotter, it is said, sought to obtain damages in the sum of about $1,800. Columbia.?Governor Blease has re ceived the resignation of Darlington H. Spain, as Master of Darlington county, ho having resigned to accept the judgeship, to which he was re cently elected. He takes the place on the circuit bench made vacant by the elevation of Judge R. C. Watte to the bench. TAfT ASKS AID THE PRESIDENT HAS ISSUED A PERSONAL APPEAL FOR THE * CHINESE. CALLS ON AMERICAN PEOPLE The Premier Favors Abdication and This Step is Likely to Be Taken? Suspicion Now Hampers the Peace* ful Solution of the Trouble, Washington.?The appeal issued through ordinary channels having failed to elicit a response in any, way commensurate with the situation, President Taft personally and as President of the American Red Cross sent out an appeal for funds to re lieve the iamine-stricken people of China. Emphasizing the terrible conditions now existing in China, where "mil lions of human beings are now facing starvation," the President says: "In the name of humanity the Red Cross calls once more upon the Amer ican people to come to the relief Of a sister nation with that prompt gener osity which has never failed in time of great emergencies. "Contributions should be sent to State Red Cross board treasurers or to the treasurer of the American Na- ' tlonal Red Cross, Room 341, War De partment, Washington, D. C." ?eking.?-The armistice between" the government and the Republicans, which is to expire in the near future, probably will be extended despite the j Imperial edict creating Yuan Shi Kai $ a marquis, which evidently covers some court design. Yuan undoubted ly favors abdication and the Chinese are confident that abdication will come without further fighting. The throne reiterated by edict that it In* tended to abide by the decision of the National Assembly concerning the fu ture government of the empire. Yuan Shi Kai, however, telegraphed Wu Ting Pang, Minister of Justice, in the Republican Cabinet, requesting a compromise as to the method of choosing delegates to the National Assembly and this compromise, If adopted, may lead to an assembly more or less packed to vote for a Re publican. The court and Yuan evi dently are mutually suspicious. Virginia Ahead in Educational Work. Washington.?Officials of the Unit ed States bureau of education?here are much interested in the work be ing done by the co-operative educa tional association of Virginia and have expressed the hope that other states , take up the work in as complete and systematic a manner as has been done in Virginia. While other states have done something in the way of trying to extend educational opportunities out into the country districts by means of lecture?, the educational authorities here say that Virginia has started this system in a broader, more comprehensive and scientific manner ban has been dene elsewhere. Will Meet'the South Half Way. New York.?Willingness on the part of foreign bankers and cotton buyers to modify the plans for safeguarding export cotton bills of lading to meet objections of the Southern cotton shippers is expressed in a statement given out by H. Kern, chairman of the Liverpool cotton bills of lading committee. Mr. Kern and J. H. Somp son, representing the European bank ers, recently returned from a con ference on the subject with represen tatives of the Southern cotton . ex ibanges. From Rockefeller Foundation. New York.?Conditional gifts of $100,000 to Washington and Jefferson College at Washington, Penn., toward a $500,000 fund, and $50,000 to the Emory and Henry College of Emory, Va., toward a $250,000 fund were vot ed at a meeting of the general educa- \ ,'- .r tlon board of the Rockefeller Founda tion here. - :'i\ Knox Has Been Offered the Job. Wa#hington.?It was reliably report ed that Fresident Taft, before consid ering any other candidates, had offer ed to Secretary of State Knox an ap pointment to tbe Supreme Court to succeed the late Justice Harlan. Cir cuit Judge W. C. Hook still is sup posed to be the leading candidate con sidered by the President at the time but the delay in announcing a choice has given rise to renewed rumors that Secretary Nagel may finally be selected. The final announcement isr expected soon. Woman Presides on the Bench. Cincinnati, Ohio.?A Portia came to judgment in the federal building in Covington, Ky., opposite this city, when Mrs. Mabel Van Dyke Bell as sumed her duties of federal commis sioner to which she was recently ap pointed. Mrs. Bell is said to be the only woman to hold the position of judge in preliminary hearings in a United States court. Her first case was that of a man charged with send ing libellous matter through the mails and she bound him over to the grand iury and fixed his bond at $500. The Sea Claims Many Lives. Washington.?The sea claimed the lives of 196 persons with 325 Ameri ' ?- ? Ji.mIwi* iVifl fic/iol vflgr nf can vessels liming me juvui jv> 1911 according to a summary of losses published in the list of merchant ves sels of the United States just issued by Commissioner Chamberlain of the bureau of navigation, department of commerce and labor. The loss of sailing vessels, principally by founder ing, resulted in the death of 108 per sons; with steam vessels 87. The principal disaster of the year was the foundering of the steamer Arkadia.