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established; est ie BRYAN IN REPLY Scores Roosevelt for Levering Dignity of High Office. TAFT PET OF TRUSTS The Democratic Presidential Candi date Replies to the Dodging Letter of toe President With the Strong est Document That Has Appeared This Gunpaign Prom Any Source. Wm J. Bryan, candidate for President, on his way from Madison to Milwaukee, Saturday, gave out the following letter for publication: "Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, Presi dent of the United States, Washing ton, D. C.?Dear Sir: While I have not yet received your letter and shall not until I reach home next week, I have read a copy of it in the press and beg leave to submit the following reply: "Mr. Haakell having voluntarily resigned from the committee that he might be more free to prose cute those who have brought charges ?against him, I need not discuss' the question of his guilt or innocence further than to say that the public service which he has rendered and the vote of confidence which he has received from the people of his own State ought to protect him from condemnation until the charges can be examined in some court where partisanship does not bias, and where campaign exigencies do not compel prejudgment. I would not , deem it necessary to address you further but for the fact that you seize upon the charges and attempt to make political capital out of them. You even charge that my connection ?with -Mr. Haskell's selection as a member of the resolutions commit tee raises a question as to my sin cerity as an Opponent of trusts and monopolies. As an individual and ?as the candidate of my party, I re sent the charge and repel the in sinuation. . I have been m public life for eighteen years and I have been sufficiently conspicuous to make my conduct a matter of public interest. I have passed through-two Presidential campaigns in which party feeilng ran high and epithet was exhausted. I".have no hesita tion in saying you cannot find an act, a word or a thought of mine to justify partisan' charges; High Tribute to Haskell. "I have never been informed of any charge that had been made against Mr. Haskell connecting him with the Standard Oil Company or' with any other trust. I had known him as leader in the Constitutional Convention of Oklahoma, and had known him as one of the men prin-j cipally responsible for the excellent Constitution which has since been adopted?and adopted by a majority of over one hundred thousand, ^seventy thousand of which was furnished by Republicans. I had known of his election to the Gov ernorship of. that great young State by a majority of some ""hi/ty thous and. I had known that the Consti tution, was adopted and the Gover nor Haskell was elected in spite of the speeches made in Oklahoma by Mr. Taft. ?'You say that it was a matter of common notoriety that Mr. Has kell was connected with the Stand ard Oil Company. I have a right to assume that if so serious an ob jection had existed to Mr. Haskell's election and had been a matter of common notoriety in Ohio, as you say. Judge Taft would have felt it his conscientious duty to warn the people when he spoke in Oklahoma. If he did not have the knowledge, why can it be assumed that I had it? And, if he had it, how can you excuse his failure to communicate the information to the people o< Oklahoma? If you feel it your patriotic duty to denounce Mr. Haskell when he is only a member of the national organ ization, how much more would Mr. Taft have felt it his patriotic duty to denounce Mr. Haskell when he ?was aspiring to be the Chief Ex ecutive of a great nation? Know of no Suit. ?'I could have no knowledge of the suit to which you refer when he was appointed chairman of the reso lutions committee of tne Democratic National Convention, because the suit was begun while he was at Den ver and, as a matter of fact, I did not know anything of the nature of the suit until after he was made treasurer of the national committee, and no fair-minded person can de cide upon the merits of your charge without an examination of the pro visions of the Enabling Act. passed by a Republican Congress and the provisions of a license franchise is sued to the oil company by your Ad ministration. "I need hardly refer to the newly found evidence upon which you lay AO m"3h stress, viz. the article in the J 'Took of Septem tier 5. My attention was never called to that article until I read the published copy of your letter, and while I have great respect for the Outlook, and I suppose I have for the writer (although you do not give his name), I would hardly feel justified in de ciding as promptly as you do on an ex parte statement without exami nation. The Trust Question. *'You present. an Indictment (Continued on page 5.) 569. FORAKER HITS BACK SAYS IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE A CRIME For Candidate Taft to Engage Him self With Trust Magnates and Ride in Their Private Cars. Senator Foraker isstr a long let ter in defence of himself, in -which, he scores Roosevelt and Taft in pronouncing him guilty before they heard his side. He shows that he Iis not the only Republican of promi nence that, has a soft place in his heart for trust magnets. In speak ing of Mr. Taft he says: Only one month ago, when Mr. Taft visited Middle Bass and To ledo, he was the guest of Mr. C. T. Lewis, of the law firm of Doyle &' Lewis, who have been the at torneys of the Standard Oil Company for many years, standing next in rank in that relation to Mr. Virgil P. Kline, and when Mr. Taft had occasion to pass back and forth be tween Middle Bass and Toledo, where I had the pleasure or meeting him, he travelled on the yacht of Mr. Richardson, a prominent "magnate of the Glass Trust, at least the papers so announced, when traveling from Hot Springs to Toledo on his way to Middle Bass, yet nevertheless he rode in the private car of one of the officers of the road of which also Messrs. Doyle & Lewis are attorneys. What a series of unpardonable crimes! "There did not seem to be any such righteous dislike of these Stand ard Oil and other trust representa tives rankling in the bosom of Mr. Taft on the occasion to which 1 re fer. On the contrary, he acted like a good, square, sensible, honest minded man, who really enjoyed the company he was keeping and the entertainment he was receiving and who recognized, as the late Senator Hanna was accustomed to say, that there were 'good trusts as well as bad,' and even decent people in the employment of the Standard Oil Company as well as objectionable people, and all that is to his credit. "It is also highly to his, credit that when, three years ago, the Pres ident had occasion to appoint a United States District Judge for tho Northern district of C doj" ,Mr.* Tafti knowing the abilities and high char acter df John H. Doyle, of this Standard Oil-firm of Doyle & Lewis, did not hesitate- to recommend *him to the President in strong language for appointment to that J?dgeship." CAUGHT IN TEXAS. i-;? Killed Six People in California Twelve Years Ago. Deputy Sheriff Howard Buffing ton, of San Jose, Can, who accom panied Sheriff Arthur Langford to Sherman for the purpose of iden tifying, if possible, the man held charged with being Jas. S. Dunham, wanted for the murder of six per sons in San Jose, 12 years ago, today picked the man out of a crowd of forty prisoners. ' When asked if he positively iden tified Hatfield as Dunham, Deputy Buffington said: "1 do not care to answer that question until 1. have heard from some messages which were sent to California this afternoon." Requisition papers for the re.turn of Dunham to California have been secured from Governor Campbell. Dunham has an attorney who is trying to find evidence upon which o fight the return of Dunham. Dunham, it is alleged, killed his wife, his wife's parents, a woman employed of the household and two other men twelve years ago in San Jose. He escaped and had not been heard from since. Hatfield, who came to this section three months ago and married a rich widow, stoutly denies that he has ever been in California. CULMINATION OF ROMANCE. Miss Louise Davis Quietly Weds H. A. Stokes at Columbia. A little romance was enacted at Columbia Wednesday when Miss Louise Davis became Mrs. H. A. Stokes. Miss Davis came here to attend college, but a note left at the hotel tells briefly the story of the surprise. Mr. Stokes is a na tive of Forsythe, Ga.. but is now in the civil service at Atlanta. He met Miss Davis here and the two pro ceeded to the Methodist parson age, where they became man and I wife. Mr. and Mrs. Stokes arrived Jin Atlanta today. Mrs. Stokes is the [daughter of Mr. T. E. Davis, a prom inent banker in Bishopville. HYDROPHOBIA IS SIBERIA. Peasants Who Ate Infected Cattle Suffer From Disease. Hydrophobia is raging in the vil lage of Pielskiy, in the Yenisei dis trict, Siberia. The viliage possesses i a large number of dogs, which during the hot summer were at tacked with rabies and bit many of the horned cattle. The owners of the cattle, noticing that some of them were ailing, killed them for food. Many, of the peasants after wards developed hydrophobia. The disease was (communicated to the domestic poultry, and even some horses showed signs of it. In the village twenty-seven familes are now tut OBAISTGEBUKG, TEDDY IN A HOLE Gov. C N. Haskel Puts Roose velt In Ananlas Club. SOME CENTER SHOTS. Says Prairie Oil Company Was . Forced on Oklahoma \Vben a Ter ritory by Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior and He Had to Obey the Law. Thursday night at Guthrie, Gov ernor Chas. N. Haskell issued a j statement to the Associated Press, in reply to President Roosevelt's let-j |ter In reply to W. J. Bryan, dealing with four specific charges against ?Mr. Haskell, . namely, that he is (subservient to the Standard Oil; that he vetoed a child labor bill; that he dealt extensively-in Creek Indian lands and that he allowed * politics to dominate him in the removal of members of the faculty of the State unversity and the appointment of others to succeed them. Governor Haskell took up the four charges as dwelt upon by President Roosevelt in turn, dealing with each in a characteristic manner. The Prairie Oil and Gas Company charges Governor Haskell declared to be a "joke on Roosevelt's stupidity," as serting that he had done nothing which would confer on the Standard Oil subsidary company more author ity than it already pqssessed under a franchise granted by Secretary Hitchcock. An Untruth; Waived it Aside. "I assert that it is fair for me to assume, if my case was to be digni fied- by an all-day cabinet meeting, that beyond question Mr. Hearst and his campaign associate, President Roosevelt, left no stone unturned to blacken my character. "That being true, they certainly raked Ohio fore and aft concerning the Ohio Standard Oil case of 189'.? and, finding absolute'y nothing re flecting on me, the president tried to wave his charge of last Monday aside by saying 'he will make no al lusion to that.' "He drops this subject because his original statement was untruth ful and he must know from what he knows and tri^d to find in Ohio, that I spoke the truth when I said that I never in ail my life had any interest in connection with, nor service for, that company. Could Spell It With Three Letters. "I say the president knows now that my statement is true and I re gret that he tries to brush it aside without doing me candid justice. Were I to adopt the character of language so commonly used by the president I would spell it in fewer letters than 'falsehood.' "Mr. Roosevelt. I hope to speak in Ohio soon. .May I? I hope to divide the time with some partisan of yours, or Crown Prince William, who will defend your action in this instance. . ,. "President Roosevelt comes to Oklahoma and finds a substitute for his Ohio failure, does he. in the case of the State against the Prairie Oil and Gas Company, which he com plains I compelled to be dismissed? Knows He Acted Properly. "Yes, I did haye it dismissed. We all know that the Prairie Com pany is a Standard Oil offspring, and don't forget the . president claims to have known this also, and I charge that his political allies, Hearst and Roosevelt, both know that I act ed properly. First, the Prairie Oil Company got its franchise in our State, not from me. but from Roosevelt's sec retary of the interior, long before statehood began and had its main, line built and operating. and congress in our statehood bill was careful to declare that our new State, when organized, must respect all such vested rights and existing franchises. That was all I did, and the federal courts stand ready to call me down if I violated the Roosevelt territorial franchise. Questions to Roosevelt. "Now. Mr. President, why did your seceretary of the Interior grant what you knew to be a Standard Oil pipe line a franchise in our then helpless territory and rasten it in our new State by a permanent state hood bill? Will Mr. Hearst or the president please answer. "I will also remind the president that the company tried to enlarge its right so as to include a gas as well as oil privilege. This 1 de feated, and even last April. Mr. President, your secretary of the in terior tried to help the Standard Oil gas privileges against my protest by actually granting them a franchise to lay an interstate gas line also. I notified the secretary that with statehood your days of giving valu able franchises in our State has passed and I would resist laying the pipe line only after you yielded and cancelled your unlawful act. "I again assert that my act in that case was not only required by what federal authority had been un able to do, but that the public inter est of your own people, based on con ditions growing out of your original special factor to the Standard Oil Company in granting that franchise, required them to puruse that policy in the case you criticise. Child Labor BiU. "The president come to the local affairs of our State and assails me Continued on page 5.) um S. C.. TUESDAY. SEPTE& HASKELL RESIGNS DEMOCRATIC TREASURER GIVES UP HIS OFFICE. I . Admits that Hearst and Roosevelt Charges are Responsible/ bat Not That They Are True Governor Haskell. resigned Friday night- as?treasurer' of the*!Democrat ic National CommitteeT Efts resigna tion was announced by himsel? three hours after his arrival; In Chicago trbm Guthrie, and'after he had con ferred with officers of the Democratic national headquarters. In giving out his decision Governor Haskell, In re sponse to' a question, declared Jie desired not to be responsible for any embarrassment which might result to the Democratic party by retaining the office of treasuref. That his reignation is the direct result of the charges made "against him by Wra. R. Hearst and "Presi dent Roosevelt Mr. Haskell also ad mitted. At the same time he did not by his resignation intend f-i admit that any of the charges were true. When Mr. Haskell arrived in Chicago at 9 o'colck last night he declared that he had not then re signed and that Mr. Bryan had not asked him to resign. Speaking to reporters he said: "If you have any question to ask put them on paper," he said. He then went from the station to Dem ocratic headquarters at the Audi torium Annex. When a list of questions was handed him he retired to his room, saying he would give , out answers later. He was closeted for a long time with National Committeeman Martin .1. Wade, of Iowa, and Josephus Daniels, chairman of the Democratic press committee. It was midnight when Mr. Haskell reappeared from the room. He had in his hands a written resignation addressed to National Chairman Norman- E. Mack, and the answer to the questions which had been given him. . 5 I "I have my answers," he said. "They will explain, .themselvds?' p After giving an affirmative reply to the question whether he. had re signed, but denying that'Mh Bryan had. asked for the resignation, the question and answers read as fol lows: "Do you know whether Mr. Bryan knew of the charges made against you by Mr.-Hearst, before you were appointed treasurer?" "I do not see how he could have." "Do jyou think your further con nection with the campaign, regard less of the truth or faisity of the charges, would tend to embarrass Mr. Bryan or injure his chances?' "It might. At any rate, I would not be a good citizen if I risked any embarrassment in the fight of the honest people against the special interests." "Do you intend to reply to Presi dent Roosevelt?" "I have not done so yet." "Do you intend to renew your demand for an investigation of the charges?" "How can I Roosevelt admits he did not tell the truth." In answer to a series of questions as to his relation to the Citizens' Alliance,v said to have been organized at Muskogee, Okla., to fight the local labor union, Mr. Haskell denied that the Alliance was ever organized. In reply to questions concerning the Standard Oil Company he repeated his former denials of ever having had anything to do with the company. DU PONT RESIGNS. Under Fire From the Notional Re publican Committee. At New York Chairman Hichcock, of the "Republican national commit tee, Friday announced that General Coleman DuPont, of Delaware, head of the bureau of campaign speakers of the national committee, had re signed as head of that bureau and also as a member of the executive committee, and that his resignation had been accepted. Mr. Hitchcock said he had a conference with Mr. DuPont Friday morning and the lat ter insisted upon the acceptance of his resignation. feeling that the tendency of the suit by the Govern ment against the powder company with which DuPont is connected, be employed by Republican opponents to the injury of the campaign. * EXPLOSION KILLS i-'IVK. Three Americans and Two Italians Blown to Pieces. Three Americans and two Italians were blown to pieces in an explosion of dynamite Sunday while working at Cross Keys Cut. along the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railway, near Toby Banna, Pa. The firemen were tramping a hole containing eighteen inches of dyna mite when it prematurely exploded. John Walsh's legs were split apait, one leg going to the right bank of the track three hundred yards and the other two hundred yards to the left. Shreds of flesh still cling to the telephone wires. The bodies were assembled by means of matching the clothing of the Tict?nes-. IBER 29, 1908. TRIED TO BRIBE Gompers Says Van Cloave At tempted to Buy Him Off. TAFT RESPONSIBLE j For Contempt' Proceeding Says the' Labor Lcader. He Goes Into De | tails of the Attempt to Bribe Him, Giving Names, Dates and Other I Particulars. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, as Washington Thursday introduced the name of Former Secretary Taft and made serious charges against W. J. Van Cleve, president of the National Association of Manufacturers. The charges were made as a part of Mr. Gompers' testimony in connection with the proceeding against him. Secretary Morrison and John Mitch ell in the Buck stove and range con tempt case. Mr. Gompers was at the time under cross-examination at the hands of his attorney, Jackson H. Ralston. In the case of Mr. Taft, Mr. Gom pers in effect charged that he had supplied the sentiment behind tho injunction decree, while the direct charge was made that Mri Van Cleve had had Mr. Gompers and oth er federation officials shadowed by detectives and had undertaken to have Mr. Gompers bribed to desert the cause of organized labor and join its enemies. Mr. Ralston's efforts were directed towards a countr-conspiracyVmfwww towards showing a "ounter-conspir acy by the manufactu rs to destroy trade unionism. He re.?.d the portion of Mr. Taft's presidential nomina tion acceptance bearing on the anti injunction plank/ and commenting upon the extract, Mr. Gompers said: "It is substantially the basis of this injunction suit and these con tempt proceedings, under that in junction." Mr. Ralston: 'T understand you, then, it is in reliance upon Mr. Taft's decisions that you are here today." Mr. Gompers: "Justice Gould in his opinion so asserts and he quotes from injunctions by Judge Taft while on the bench.", '/?'.??' Mr. Ralston: "Judge Taft's st?nd in the matter then having the en dorsement of the National Associa tion of Manufacturers?" Mr. Gompers: "Yes." Mr. Ralston asked Mr. Gompers whether there had been any general effort to break down organized la bor, and he replied: "Men have been suborned to spy on their fellow laborers in shops, factories and mines; to report the proceedings of union meetings; to spy on the personal conduct of work men after working hours and to fol low from place to place labor lead ers visiting other cities than then homes. Money has also been used to bribe representative labor men to I cease their connection with the la bo organizations and direct their activ, '?s to the National Manufac turers' association. They have not offered substantial safeguard in the future." After giving details of his own pursuit by detectives, Mr. Gompers then told of being approached in New York by a man named Brough ton Brandenburg of New York, who, he said, had attempted in 1907 to bribe him in the interest of Mr. Van Cleve. "He said," Mr. Gompers con tinued, "that he was friendly to me and he thought that Mr. Van Cleve and myself should have a better understanding and offered to bring about a meeting between us to es tablish more agreeable relations." Mr. Gompers stated that he told Brandenburg that he would be glad to meet Mr.# Van Cleve, as it had always been his policy to encourage friendly conferences in matters in volving labor disputes. Atter Mr. Gompers returned to Washington he said that he received several communications from Brandenburg and stated that this correspondence had led to an agreement for a meet ing in New York. He was accom panied to f\w York by Vice Presi dents Duncan and Huber, both of whom had advised him to carry out the agreement for a conference. Relating the particulars of tho second meeting in New York. Mr. Gompers said Brandenburg disclosed to him his purpose, saying that he knew it 1o be the intention of Mr. Van Cleve to destroy his (Gompers') character, but that he (Branden burg) had persuaded Van Cleve that it would be better in the interest of Van Cleve's purpose to make an ally ot Gompers and to prevail upon lnm to betray the secrets of the Federa tion of Labor, "revealing," Mr. Gompers added, "whatever informa tion I possessed which might rellect detrimentally upon labor organi zations.'' "He said," continued f) Gompers, "that Van Cleve had agreed to this proposition and had undertaken to suggest to me that I could permit mlyself to be re-elected president of the federation in order to pre vent the election of Vice President Duncan and that after some little time I could resign. He assured me that I would be given a good lump sum and that Van Cleve would guarantee beyond question that I would be cared for the rest of my life, even going to far as to tell me. WRECKER CAUGHT PROVES TO BE A FIFTEEN YEAR BOY Who Admits Having Thrown the Switch, Which Resulted in a Wreck and Death. A.special to The News and Courier from Spartanburg says Clarence Agnew, colored, who was arrested Friday morning at Wellford by Con stable T. W. Moore on suspicion of having thrown the switch of the Southern Road, near Wellford, wrecking Passenger Train No. 41, re sulting in the death of Engineer J. W. Fonville' and Fireman Bowers, and seriously injuring Baggage Master McConley and Prue White, baggage agent at Spartanburg, made a full confession in jail this after noon in the presence of Chief De tective Connelly, of the Southern Road: Special Agents L. A. Farr and Johnson, Constables Metcalf and Moore. Agnew is about fifteen years of age. He said that his home is in Toccoa, Ga. He had just finished serving sentence on the chaingang at Greer yesterday at noon and started out walking down the rail road track towards Spartanburg. About 6 o'clock in the afternoon he passed through Duncan, and when ho came to the first switch he found the lock unlocked and threw the switch back and closed the lock. When he came to the switch at Groce's side track, near the mill, he said he reached down and gave the chain a jerk and the lock sprung open. He threw back the lever of the switch and closed it down. He looked about the track and picked up a piece of iron and broke the lock on the rails. He said he threw one part of the lock away and put the other in his pocket and walked on down the track to Wellford. As he passed under an overhead bridge he threw the. othes portion of the lock away. He* told the pfficers he he could go back and find *the pieces of the lock. Agnew said that when he reached Wellford he crawled In between a box car and cotton , seed house This morning when he awoke he started down the railroad track and asked some qne if there had been a.wreck. Upon being told there had been he said to himself he hoped no one was killed. He continued on down the track to the scene of the wreck, where he was arrested by Constable Walker Moore. Agnew made a desperate attempt to get away and fought the officer furiously while the handcuffs were being placed on him. The motive that prompted the negro to open the switch resulting in the loss of the lives of two men and the injuring of several others can not be imagined, unless it was pure cussedness and a spirit of revenge to get even for having served on the chaingang. That his motive was not robbery is certain for after opening the railroad switch he walked on down the track and did not go back for several hours afterwards. It is thought tha't. officers will take Agnew tn Wellford tomorrow morning to look for the.piece.of broken switcu lock he was said to nave thrown away. NIGHT RIDERS IN GREENVILLE R. C. Willmon Warned Not to Gin Any More Cotton. A dispatch from Greenville to The State says word reached that city Tuesday of the position of a threatening notice by supposed nighc riders on the gin of R. C. Willmon, eight miles from Greenville. The notice reads: "Take warning and do not gin any more cotton. If you do, you will suffer the consequences. (Signed) "Night Riders." It is also reported several other gins were posted last night, though no damage is reported. Wlllmon's gin is a new plant and started up Tuesday morning, despite the threat. _ that the guarantee should be under written. "He said that I could deliver lec tures in opposition to the labor movement, and that if i did not re ceive as much as five or six thousand dollars a year, Van Cleve, would make up the difference. "I told him," said Mr. Gompers, 'that it was difficult to believe that Mr. Van Cleve would make such a proposition and that I must have further proof of his sincerity. Another meeting was arranged and at this meeting Brandenburg showed me checks, drafts and vouchers on official letterheads of the National Aisociatlon of Manufacturers and under the signature of Mr. Van Cleve, which were made payable to Brandenburg. "I told him I would consider the proposition." continued Mr. Gompers. "I did not reject it. because I wanted him to continue under the belief that I might accept. Of course I was just as determined then as I am now and always have been to be true to myself, my conscience and to my fellows." He stated that he had related all the details of this conversation to Vice President Dun can and Ruber. *1.50 PER ANNUM. TEDDY DID IT Roosevelt Forced Standard Off Franchise on Oklahoma. THE RECORD SAYS SO. It Shown That* Roosevelt Did Exaetiy What He Charged Got. Basket! With Doing in the Prairie Oil and Gas Company Matter Against the Protest of Haskell and Hitchcock.* A dispatch from Washington say* investigation at the interior depart ment brought forth the fact that the franchise to the Prairie Oil and' Gas Company, in Oklahoma, was is sued by Ethan Allen Hitchcock, then, Secretary of the Interior, as charged by Governor Charles N. Haskell. It. further appears that Mr. Hitchcock granted the franchise unwillingly, and only after he had once refused to do so. When the Secretary did grant it he yielded to an explicit In struction from President Roosevelt. The facts are a matter of record, ia letter files and elsewhere in the interior department. After a full discussion in the Cab inet meeting today it was decided' not to issue a statement in reply to the hot rejoinder which came from Governor Haskell, treasurer of thi? Democratic national committee, yesterday 'in regard to the Prairie? Oil and Gas Company^ arid other; matters. The explanation was given* after the meeting that was deemedi best to await any communication: that may come from Mr. Bryan ori way of rejoinders to the President'* letter of last Wednesday. Ther* is a feeling also in some quarters: that the President should have held, aloof from such a discussion as the* Prairie Oil and Gas Company affair^ The history of the Oklahoma^ franchise is as follows: The secretary of the Interior wast obstinate in his refusal to issue the* franchise, whereupon ex-Senator J. K. Jones, of Arkansas, former chair man of the Democratic national com mittee, went to Oyster Bay, accompa nied by his client, T. M. Barnesdale.? of Pittsburg. Later Mr. Jones called! on the President in Washington.. Still later he was reinforced in hi^ demand for the franchise by Stater Senator Franchot, of New York, who> wbD*had an interest in the company, and Senator Depew, who expressed a desire to see the State Senator* obliged in the matter. Certain influential Republicans ia Indiana were also interested, among them Harry S. New, chairman of the Republican national committee, who was in a company that had sold its? holdings to the Prairie Oil and Ga& Company, and whose contract was in danger of being, impaired by the refusal of Secretary Hitchcock tr, ratify. After several conferences the Pres ident sent for Secretary Hitchcock and asked him why he had noc granted the franchise. The Presi dent, for reasons best known to him self, decided that Secretary Hitch cock's objections were not well found ed and ordered him to issue tha franchise requested by the Prairie Oil and Gas Company. There was a question at the time>' as to whether the company was af iliated with the Standard. Repre sentations were made by certain. Interested parties-that Mr. Barnes dale and his colleagues belonged to? an independent company. Subse quently the fact was established that the Standard was the real party in 'interest, as the President now", charges In his attack on Goveraor Haskell. In the matter of certain pipe lina=? privileges referred to tn an inter-" view given out by Governor HaskeliC the records show that ithe per mits were granted by Secretary Gar* field to the rairie Oil and Gas Com pany last April, and that Governor Haskell entered a protest at th^ time. He telegraphed to Secretary Garfield demanding by what right he assumed to issue a permit to lay pipe lines within a sovereiga State. The Secretary, according to? the records of the office, replied, that he exercised the right to grant permits across Indiana reservations, which are under his control, and that he had assumed no greater au thority than that. * DASHED THROUGH FLAMES. Passengers Are Refugees From Town Destroyed by the Fire. A great forest fire is raging near Eureka. Col., fanned by a fifty-mile gale, and already the plant of tue Kelstrom Lumber Company, valued at $60,000, has been destroyed. The fire is threatening vast tracts of redwood timber lying between Kel strom and Trinidad, to which latte.* place refugees are flocking from many camps. The million-dollar plant of the Redwood Lumber Com pany is directly in the course of the flames. A passenger train ar rived at Samoa Thursday night, car rying refugees from Luffenholz and Fieldbrook, the former town having been destroyed by the flames. Refugees were hemmed in by the flames and the daring trip through the fire on the train was proposed. The dash was made with the flames so close that the paint on the cars was blistered in the heat.