The times and democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, December 18, 1908, Image 1
ESTABLISHED IN 18
THE TRUTH OUT
As to Who Did Really Shoot Up
Brownsville, Tex.
SHOOTER CONFESSES
^To a Negro Detective, who Had Been
Employed to Work-the Case Up
by the War. Department?A Dis
chaged Negro Soldier Tells All
About it.
Washington, Dec. 15.?President
Ttoosevelt sent to the Senate Tues
day a special message in reference
to the shooting up of Brownsville,
. Texas, by a batallion of negro sol
diers in the summer of 1906. In
cluded in the message is the general,
Teport of inspection by Herbert J.
Drown, a colored detective, who was
employed by the war department in
conjunction with Capt. W. G. Bald
win to probe the occurrence at
"Brownsville. Brown submitted the
iollowing to the detectives agency,
"which he says is the confession of
Boyd Conyers, one of the discharged
negro soldiers, who now lives ar
Monroe, Ga., and who helped shoot
up the Texas town in August, 1906.
In his confession tp Brown Con
yers says:
The rumors of trouble over th<.
assignment of colored troops to
Brownsville were circulated before
the troops left Fort NIobrara, and
preparations were made among tha
men to "get even with the crackers,"
so the whites were called. Some
?cartridges were held out at rang*
practice, but more en route to
Brownsville. Pretence was made
that they were given away at sta
tions along the road. Some were,
but a large number were secreted.
At inspection in Brownsville.
Xdeut. Lawrence, Company B, threat
ened punishment to the men who
"were short of ammunition, but noth
ing was done about it, and the de
ficiency was supplied.
- The friction with citizens of
Brownsville began at once. In
Boyd Conyers' language, "Whiskey
mado all the trouble. If we hadn't
been drinking we wouldn't have had
the nerve to shoot up the town."
It was agreed, as a gathering of
a few men in the saloon of Allison,
the colored ex-soldier, on the after
noon of August 13, 1906, that the
raid should take place1 that night aL
12 o'clock. It seems to have becn
delayed a few minutes to let
Tamayo, the Mexican scavenger, get
away from the B barracks.
John Holloman, the money lend
er of Company B, was the chief con
spirator and leader in the raid and
custodian and distributor of the
cartridges, but his plans could not
have been carried out had not Sergt.
George Jackson, of Company B, in
charge of the keys to the gun racks
in B barracks, and Sergt. Reid, in
command of the guards, co-operated
both before and after the raid.
' The four men who led the raid
"were John Holloman, John Brown,
Boyd Conyers and Carolina de
Saussure, all of Company B (and
probably R. L. Collier, of Company
C) Hollomanwas in barracks,
Brown in the bake shop, Gonyers
and de Saussure in the guard house.
The two latter were In the same
detail, and had been relieved at
about 11 o'clock, de Saussure on the
post at the guard house, and Con
yers on No. 2, around the barracks
and facing the town. Holloman got
the party together. Conyers and de
Saussure slept on the same bunk in
the guard house, claiming that they
wanted to get under the mosqui'o
net, and they had the trick of taking
their guns into the bunk instead of
placing them in the open rack, on
the excuse that they didn't rust so
badly under cover, but really so the
absence of the guns from the op"n
guard house rack would not attract
attention, and their own absence
would be ascribed to a visit to the
closet, which was back of the guard
house. These two men slipped out
the rear door of the guard house,
passed through the sally port, and
joined Holloman and Brown.
Thp party crossed the wall of
the fort down near the end of A j
barracks, went up the roadway t?. f
the entrance to the Cowen alley,
where the signal shots were fired.
These shote were immediately tal
lied onto by the alarm shots of
Joseph B. Howard, guard on No. 2.
and formed the series testified to by
Mrs. Katie E. Leaby. of Brownsvillo.
Her testimony is further borne out
by the statement that not over thirry
seconds elapsed before a number of
men of Company B swarmed out on
the upper gallery and opened a fus
illade on the town.
It is an absolute certainty that it
would have been impossible for
Serget. Jackson to have opened the
gun racks, for the men to have as
sembled, secured their guns, loaded
them, gone out to the gallery, and
started firing, all after the first shot
was fired, all around, as tkey testi
fied unanimously, from sound
slumber, in less than two minutes,
In the confusion of a dark barrack
room. Beyond the possibility of a
doubt, the racks had been opened
and the inside conspirators were
ready to pour out on the signal
shots. The testimony is ample that
there were scarcely twenty seconds
between the last of the signal shots
and the first general volley from B
barracks.
The number firing from the bar
69.
ROBBER KILLED.
XX RUNNING MIDNIGHT FIGHT BY
OFFICERS.
TheB audits Were Getting Ready to
Rob the Banks of the Town and
Showed Fight.
Greenwich, O.. Dec. 16.?In a run
ning midnight encounter between a
gang of safe-crackert' and the police
of this village, Night Marshal Wood
was hurt, and one of the burglars
slain.
The other burglar escaped, carry
ing one of their number.
Marshal Wood accosted a man
standing near the postoffice and act
ing in a suspicious manner. In reply
to questions, the unknown man said
he was a stranger in the town, but
desired to leave on a freight train.
. The marshal escorted him to the
raiflroad and just as they reached
the tracks four other men suddenly
jumped from behind a car and or
dered tho officer to throw up his
hands.
He complied, but in one hand .3
had an automatic revolver which he
fired, one bullet piercing the heart
of one of the quartet. The firing
was returned by the other men an I
the marshal was struck in the back.
As he fell, the men beat him into
insensibility and then escaped.
The firing aroused the town and
the WDunried marshal was found in
the railroad yards. A posse search
ed the surrounding territory for the
men. The dead man was about 36
years of age and well dressed.
CAN'T SCARE JOSEPH.
Pulitzer Says He Will Edit His
Paper From Jail.
New York, Dec. 16.?Joseph
Pulitzer, of The World, in replying
to the tirade of President Roosevelt,
says:
"So far as I am personally con
cerned, I was at s*a during the
whole of October and, in fact, pra
tically for two years I have been
yachting on account of my health.
I never read a word or syllable of
this Panama story, was not in con
nection with the paper and had noth
? Ing to do with it. Mr. Roosevelt
I knows all this perfectly.. He knows
I am a chronic invalid and mostly
abroad yachting on account of my
health. I think his anger is simply
due to the sharp attacks made by
The World on hlra politically. For
that perhaps, I am responsible; that
is for the political criticism of Roose
velt on public and political grounds
solely. I am really sorry he should
be so very angry, but The World
will continue to critcise him without
a shad?w of fear, if he should suc
ceed in compelling me to edit the
paper from jail.
WHITE FIEND LYNCHED.
By a Mob at Monticello, Ky., for
His Crime.
Monticello.^ Ky., Dec. 17.?Elmer
Hill, a white man, wast aken from
[jail here this morning by an armed
mob of about thirty men and haug
; ed to a tree jist outside of the chy
Hill was incarcerated on the charge
of assaulting Mimic Womack. aged
13 years, and murd-iring her.
Hill, when taken from the pi'.,
flatly denied the charge, but when
the rope had been placed around his
neck and he apparently saw no way
of escape he told tne story of the
crime. .
He said the girl was coming home
from school when *ie attacked her.
tying a hankerchief around her neck
and strangling her. When the girl
wan unconscious he Look her into the
woods and killed her.
Seven Men Drown.
St. Pierre, Mcq., Dec. 15.?Seven
members of the crew of the French
warship Admiral Aube, who started
for the shore last night are missing,
and it is thought all were drowned.
racks is unknown, but perhaps
twenty men were involved. A small
er number went to the ground and
followed the leaders up the alley.
It will be remembered that one of
the witnesses testified to hearing
some one of the group of soldiers
exclaim, "There they go!" Where
upon these men leaped over the wa'l
and ran up the alley.
Boyed Conyers is the man whose
gun jammed at the exit of the alley
by the Cowen house, testified i;o by
Herbert Elkins. and it was taken
from him by de Saussure and fixed
in the street where the light from
the street lamp at the corner of
Elizabeth street shone on them.
Less than five minutes elapsed
from the time the first shot was
fired until these men were all back
inside the fort.
Conyers stated that Reid was told
that they were going to shoot up the
town, and he had laughed and said.
"Don't go out there and let the
crackers get the best of you."
When Conyers and de Saussure
reached the guard house they ran in
the back way and got into their
bunks. Sergt. Reid came in and
swore at them, but Conyers was ??o
excited and out of breath that he
could hardly stand, so Reid stationed
him at the rear of the guard house
in the dark, where he could not be
scrutinized so closely.
Holloman came around with extra
cartridges about daybreak and Reid
passed them out. The guns were all
cleaned before daylight.
?
ORAN?BBXJB
THE POPULAR VOTE
DEMOCRATS MADE BIG GAINS
OVER LAST ELECTION.
Hearst's Independence Party Polled
Less Than One Hundred Thousand
Votes in Whole Country.
New York, Dec. 15.?The total
popular vote of the various presi
dential candidates at the last
election was made known today In
an official form by the filing of the
last of the official vote, that of Mich
igan. The total shows the follow
ing votes cast:
Taft, (Republican) .7,637,67C
Bryan, (Democratic) .. ..6,393,182
Debs, Socialist) . 447,65 1
Chafin, (Prohibitionist) . 241,251:
Hisgen. (Independent) . . 83,180
Wlatson, Populist) . 33,871
Gilhaus, (Socialist Labor). 15,421
Total for all candidates.14,852,239
This grand total exceeds by 1,341,
531 the total number of votes cast
in the presidential election of 1904,
when the grand total was 13.510,
708.
Compared with that election the
candidates of the Republican, Dem
ocratic and Socialist parties increas
ed their vote this year. The reverse
is true of the candidates of the Pro
hibition, Populist and Socialist
Labor parties. The Independent
party did not figure in the presiden
tial election of four years ago.
The biggest difference in a part}
is shown in an increase for Bryan
of 1,315,211, over the total vote
cast in 1904 for Alton B. Parker, the
Democratic candidate. Taft receiv
ed 14,190 \70tes more [than were
polled 'or President Roosevelt in
1904, ai_d Debs ran 45,3 68 ahead
of his predecessor on the Socialist
ticket.
The heavist loss is ^hown by the
Populist, who, with the same can
didate, registered 83,3"12 less this
year than in 1904, when their total
was 117,183. The Prohibitionist
candidate, Chafin, ran 17,284 votes
behind the 1904 mark of his party,
and Gilhaus, the Socialist Labor
candidate, received only about 50
per cent of the vote given to Cor
rigan, which was 31,249, in the pre
vious presidential race.
The following is the vote received
by Bryan and Taft in each of the
Southern States:
State. Taft. Bryan.
Alabama . 25,308 74,374
Arkansas.56,967 87,043
Florida. 10,654 31,104
Georgia . 41,692 72,350
Kentucky.235,711 244.092
Louisiana. 9,589 63.56*
Maryland. 1.11,253 111,117
Mississippi. 4,453 64,250
Missouri .346,915 345,884
North Carolina ..114,887 136,92S
Oklahoma.110,550 123,907
South Carolina .. 3,847 62,289
Tennessee.118,287 135,630
Texas. 69,229 227,264
Virginia. 52,573 82,946
The Socialist polled 15.398 votes
In North Carolina, 21,752 in Okla
homa, 8,524 in Texas. In no other
Southern State did they poll over
5,000. In South Carolina they
polled 101 votes.
Reaped a Rich Harvest.
Pake Palmist Robbed Those Who
Took His Advice.
Atlanta, Dec. 16.?The police of
this city are anxious to locate "Pro
fessor" Frank West, alias Prof. May,
alleged palmist, medium and reader,
against whom charges of theft were
filed by several persons. -
He is alleged to have prevailed
upon his subjects to hand over to
him articles of jewelry, money, etc ,
to be placed in a bag fastener,
around their necks and worn until
such time as he might direct.
Following West's disappearance
from the city tnis week several of
his subjects opened the "conjur :'
bags, and, to their dismay, instead
of finding the articles or cash which
they were led to believe the "Pro
fessor" placed thereiH, they
found wads of paper, etc.
One victim, Levi "Armstrong,
claims that he lost three $100 bills
by this process, while Miss Jessie
Haley ?ays that West robbed her
of two diamond rings and a diamond
Ijrooch valued a| $200. Another
woman alleges that West "treated"
her at her residence, and as a re
sult a lot of silverware is missing.
Want Editors Known.
Washington, Dec. 15.?With the
view of letting the public know what
influences operate upon it throngh
the press. Representative Cooper,
of Texas, today introduced a bill to
exclude newspapers and magazines
from the mails unless the names of
the owner and editor or officers, di
rectors and stockholders be printed
on its front page.
Drugged and Robbed.
Washington, Dec. -15.?John H.
Scheick, a prominent Mason, of
Charlotte, N. C, was drugged and
robbed of $600 and 250 shares of
Atlanta Milling and Mining stock
early Tuesday morning while riding
In a hack with two strangers.
Blew Up Bank Rnfe.
McAlester, Okla., Dec. 15.?Rob
bers today dynamited the safe of tho
First National Bank of Eufala.
Okla., and escaped with a sum said
to be $2,700.
?, 8. C FRIDAY, DECE
TEDDY FOAMS
Roosevelt Uses Strong Words In
Message on Panama,
SAYS PULITZER LIES
About and Slanders the Nation
When He Charges a Deal in the
Buying of the Panama Canal
and Suit Will be Brought Against
Him Says the President.
Washington, Pcu. 15.?President
Roosevelt today sent to the Senate
a statement concerning the purchase
of the Panama canal property by the
United States, denouncing in strong
language the charges that there was
anything wrong In the acquisition
by the United States of the canal
property.
"These stories," he continues,
"were first brought to my attention
a? published in a paper in India
napolis called The News, edited by
Mr. Delavan Smith. The stories we-e
scurrilous and libelous In character,
and false in e.ery essential particu
lar.
"Smith shelters himself behind the
excuse that he merely accepted the
statements which had appeared in
a paper published in New York?
'The World'?owned by Joseph
Pulitzer."
Summarizing the charges made In
this connection the President says
in part: "These statements some
times appeared in editorials, some
times in the shape of contributions
from individuals, either unknown or
known to be of bad character.
"They are false in every partic
ular from beginning to end. The
wickedness of these slanders is only
surpassed by their fatuity. So ut
terly baseless are the stories that
apparently they represent in part
merely the material collected for
campaign purposes and in part sto
ries originally connected with a view
of possible blackmail."
The President adds: "Now these
stores as a matter of fact, need no
investigation whatever; no shadow
of proof has been or can be produced
in behalf of any of them; they con
sist simply of a string of infamous
libels. In form they are in pair
libels upon individuals, upon M"'.
Taft and Mr. Robinson, for instance;
but they are in fact wholly and in
form partly, libel upon the United
States government. I do nor believe
we should concern ourselves with
the particular individuals who wrote
the lying and libelous editorials,
articles from correspondents or ar
ticles in the news columns.
"The real offender is Mr. Joseph
Pulitzer, editor and proprietor of
'The World.' While the criminal
offense of which Pulitzer has been
guilty is in the form of libel upon
individuals, the great injury done
is in blackening the good name of
the American people. It should not
be left to a private citizen to sue
Politzer foV libel. He should be
prosecuted for libel by the govern
mental authorities."
The president continued: "It is
therefore a high national duty to
bring to justice this vfllifier of the
American people."
The President says: "The Attor
ney General has under considera
tion the form In which the proceed
ings against Mr. Pulitzer shall be
brought."
The president then explains tha
method of concluding the purchase,
saying the transaction was carried
through by the then Attorney Gen
eral Knox and not by Mr. Hay or
Mr. Root. The President accepts
.nil the responsibility for carrying
out the will of Congress. He says
that his government had nothing
to do with the distribution of the
$40,000,000. He also includes a
copy of the statement made by
Cromwell on December 11.
SENATOR TILLMAN.
Senior Senator in His Soat for the
First Time.
Washington, Dec. 15.?Senator
Tillman was for the first time during
this session in his seat when the
senate opened up yesterday morn
ing, having reached here this morn
ing. The senator is looking well.
He is just in time to get into the
groat Panama scrap which threat
ens to materialize if the senate and
the country does not let President
Roosevelt bluff them out of doing
anything. Whether the senator will
take part depends, he says, upon
whether he can find any rocks t)
throw.
Will Get Good Sum.
Washington, Dec. 15.?It has-just
been announced by the Secretary of
the Interior that the State of Souih
Carolina is entitled to receive the
sum of $3n,000 from the government
for the promotion of schools of ag
riculture and mechanical arts, under
the Act of 1 R?2.
Goes I'p for Life.
Jackson, Miss., Dec. 15.?Thomas
Bridsong. slayer of Dr. A. B. Fit's,
a prominent physician of Hazlehurst.
today entered a pica of guilty In ac
cordance with an agreement between
counsel and was given a life sen
tence In the penitentiary.
?BER 18, 1908.
CASULTY RECORD
THOUSANDS KILLED AND MIL
LIONS ARE INJURED.
Accidents Are Excessive, Says Bu
reau of Labor, and Record Could
be Much Better.
Washington, Dec. 16.?Between
30,000 and 35,000 deaths and 2,
000,000 injured is the accident rec
ord in the United States during the
past year among workingmen, ac
cording to a bulletin on accidents
issued by the bureau of labor.
Of those employed in the factories
and workshops it is stated that prob
ably the most exposed class are the
workers in iron and steel. Fatal
accidents among electricians and
electric linemen and cola miners
are declared to be excessive, while
railway trainmen were killed in the
proportion of 7.46 deaths per 1,000
employees.
^he bulletin declares that much
that could be done for the proteo
tion of the workingmen is neglected,
though many and far reaching im
provements have been introducted in
factory practice during the last de
cade. It is pointed out that the pos
sibilities for successful accident pre
vention have been clearly demon
strated in the experience of foreign
countries.
"Granting," the bulletin states
"that the underlying conditions in
European countries are often quite
different and that many of our in
dustrial accidents may be the result,
of ignorarce, reckless indifference,
or carelespness, the fact remains that
an immrase amount of human Hfj
is wasted and a vast amount of in
jury is done to health and strength,
with resulting physical impairment,
which has a very considerable eco
nomic value to the nation as a
whole."
It is Insisted that it should not
be impossible to save at least one
third and perhaps one-half by in
telligent and rational methods jof
factory inspection, legislation and
control.
VALUE OF OUR CROPS.
Revised Estim^tr of Farm Products
for This Year.
Washington, Dec. 15.?The pro
duction in 1908 and farm value of
December 1 of important farm pro
ducts, according to the final revised
estimates of the department of ag
riculture, announced today, was as
follows:
Corn, 2,668,651,000 bushels; farm
value, $1,616,145,000.
Winter wheat, 407,908,000 bush
els; value, $410,330,000.
Spring wheat, 226,694,000; $204,
446,000.
Oats, 807,156,000 bushels; $381,
171,000.
Barley, 166,756,000 bushels, $92,
442,000.
Figures for other crops included:
Rye, 31,856,000 bushels, $23,
455,000.
Buck wheat, 15,874,000 bushels;
$12,004,000.
Flax seed, 25,805,000 bushels;
$30,577,000.
Peas, 21,890,000 bushels; $17,
771,000.
Potatoes, 278,985,000; $197,
039,000.
Hay, 70,798,000 tons; $635,423
000.
Tobacco, 71S,061,000 pounds:
$75,130,000.
FIEND CAUGHT.
Who Attempted Criminal Assault on
a Woman.
Raleigh. N. C, Dec. 15.?The us
ually quiet county of Stanly is in a
state of intense excitement tonight
over the first case in the history of
the county of criminal assault of a
white woman by a negro, and it is
feared that there may be mob vio
lence before tomorrow at Alber
marle, where Henry Young, color
ed, is in jail, having been beaten in
to unconsciousness at the homo of
John R. Moss, near Whitney, lat
today by Moss and George Leffer.
who, attracted to the home of Mos;s
by the screams of Mrs. Moss, found
her in the clutches of the negro,
making desperate efforts to reach
the telephone to call for help.
When the negro attacked Mrs.
Moss, she ran into the house and
locMed the doors. YYiung broke
down a door and entered, and seiz
ing the woman, a desperate strug
gle ensued. Upon the arrrival of
Moss and Lefler, they had a strug
gle and fist fight with the negro be
fore they subdued him. Sheriff
Green was called and took the pris
oner to the jail at Albermarle.
War Declared.
Washington, Dec. 17.?A dispatch
Mas been received at the state de
partment from Paxton Hi'obin, sec
retary of legation at. Rogtoa. Colum
bia, in which it is stated that Ven
ezuela has declared war against H >1
land.
Thirteen Men Killed.
Vienna, Dec. 17.?Thirteen men
were killed In an explosion of fire
damp Wednesday nnrnlng in a miue
near Roslcza, Hungary.
Collapse of Bridge.
Martinsburg, W. Va., Dec. 17.?
Four persons were killed Wednesday
In the collapse of a span of the new
bridge across the Patomac here.
mm.
m PMM MOB
TAKES POSSESSION OF THE CITY
OF CARACAS.
The Officers of President Castro's
Paper and Business Houses of His
Friends Wrecked.
Caracas, Venezuela, Dec. 16.?The
people of Caracas arose today
against President Castro. Ar. infu
riated mob, unhindered by the po
lice, swept through the city wreck
ing the property of his henchmen
and closests friends.
The people rounded up all the
statues and pictures* of President
Castro from the cluibs and otfier
semi-public buildings and burned
them with rejoicing on the Plaza
Bolivar, Castro's rule in Venezuela
probably is ended.
In spite of Holland's warlike ac
tivity on the coast there have been
no demonstrations against the Neth
erlands; they all have been directed
against President Castro and acting
President Gomez.
An enormous crowd of inhabitants
of the capital swelled by the people
from the outlying country, gathered
in the streets soon after daybreak,
and it was good for President Cas
tro that he was in Eurpoe and not
at home.1 or he might have feared
badly at the hands of the mob.
The first 'sliding to be attacked
and looted was that of the Lottery
Monopoly. The officers of the State
enterprise that has enriched itself
at the expense of the pepole were
ransacked and pillaged. Furniture
was broken ancj thrown into the
streets and thousands of lottery
tickets were dstroyed.
The crowd tlfcn mbved to the
printing office of El Constltucioal,
the organ of President Castro, of
which Gumersindo Rivas is editor,
and pillaged it complelely. A steam
laundry belonging- to Senor Rivas
also was wrecked.
The statues and pictures o? Presi
dent Castro were made into a nuge
bonfire on the Plaza Bolivar. The
crowd cheered as the flames com
pleted the destruction of these ef
figies of the dictator.
Numerous inscriptions setting
forth the virtues of Castro and ex
tolling his powers next attracted the
retaliation of the mob, and every
inscription bearing Castro'" n.irae
was hacked out and erased. Some
of these legends were carved on th?
public buildings of the city. ,
Tt was aftpr 1 o'clock before the
crowd had gotten thus far in Its
depredations. It lacked leader-hip
and paused in default of other
fields for its destructive energia*.
It was then that a detachment of
troops was called out for duty on
the city streets, and acting Presi
dent Gomez issued a manifesto pro
hibiting further manifestations.
Thesp measur-s nad the desired
effect, for the mob quieted down
and then dispersed, after having
burned many offices and stores of
the friends of President Castro.
Several people were killed and the
Indications are that Veneznlea is on
the verge of revolution. It is not
known when President Castro, who
is now In Berlin, will return, but
when he does he will not be recog
nized as President any longer.
CRIMES IN THE PIEDMONT.
Homicides in the Up-CounCry Stir
the People.
Spartanburg, Dec. 16.?Law-abiti*
ing citizens of this county and' sec
tion are worked up over a perfect
wave of crime that has prevailed
duri g the last few days. The rec
ord since 'Friday night is three
homicides, one murderous assault
and robbery and one stabbing that
is likely to prove fatal.
George Mintz, white, hajJJeen ar
rested on charge of kno3?pg Mrs.
Sallie Green, who lives at Camp
obello, in the head with an axe and
robbing her of $75. The old lady
is not expected to live.
On Saturday night Dump Dorroh.
colored, shot and killed Jess Leak,
also colored, at Switzer. Dorroh was
arrested.
On Saturday night Griff Parks
and a colored man named Kilgore
became involved in a quarrel tn
Laurens county, just across the
Spartanburg line. Parks shot and
killed Kilgore.
Two white men, employed in con
struction work on the Carolina,
Clinchfield and Ohio, fell out about
some work and one man drew hi
knife and stabbed the other. The
injured man is expected to die.
On Saturday two white men em
ployed at Leonard & Beckman's
camp on the C. C. and O., engaged
in a quarrel and one killed the ot?
er.
Mrs. Thomas, an aged lady of
this city, while walking through
Spring street late on Saturday even
ing after a shopping tour, was struck
down and robbed by a negro, who
made his escape.
One white man shot and killed
another over In Cherokee.
Another Vessel Sighf^u.
The Hague. Dec. 15.?It Is report
ed here that the Dutch warships, op
erating oh the coast of Venezuela
have captured another Venezuelan
coast guard vessel, known as "23
de Mayo." The Mayo's crew was
landed on the Venezuelan coast and
the vessel herself is, proceeding to
Curacao In charge of a prize crew.
$1.50 PEE ANNUM.
MORE HOT STUFF
Putor Comments Sarcastically
on Special Message.
SKINS TEDDY ALIVE
Says He Is the Biggest Liar and
Meanest Demagogue That Has ihr
er Been Elevated to High Position
by the Americans, But He Can't
Silence the World
New York, Dec. 15.?The World
in the course of Its answer to Pres
ident Roosevelt's reference to th/.t
paper in his special message ' to
congress today says:
"Mr. Roosevelt is mistaken. He
can not muzzle The World.
"While no amount of billingsgate
on his part can alter our determi
nation to treat him with judicial
Impartiality and scrupulous fairness,
we repeat what we have already
said, that the congress of the United
States should make a thorough in-,
vestigation; that the full truth may
be known to the American people.
"The World fully appreciates the.
compliment paid to it by Mr. Roose
velt in makjng it the subject of a
special message to the congress of
the United States.
"The World likewise appreciates
the importance of Mr. Roosevelt's
statement when he declares to con
gress that the proprietor of The
World should be prosecuted for libel
by the governmental authorities and
that the attorney general has under
consideration the form under whlci
the proceeding against Mr. Pulitzer
shall be brought.
"This Is the first time a presi
dent ever assorted the doctrine of
lese majeste or proposed, in the
absence of specific legislation, the
criminal prosecution by the govern
ment of citizens who criticized the
conduct of the government or the
conduct of individuals who may have
had business dealings with the gov
ernment. Neither the king of Great
Britain nor the German emperor
would venture to arrogate such pow
er to himself. John Adams' attempt
to enfocre the sedition law destroy
ed the Federalist party in America.
Yet Mr. Roosevelt, in the abbence of
law, proposes ise all the power
of the greatest gjvernment on earth
to cripple the freedom of ie press
on the pretext that the government
has been libeled?and he is the gov
ernment.
"It is true that The World Print
ed the public report concerning tho
Panama canal affair whicn resulted
from William Nelson Cromwell's ap
peal to the district attorney's office
during the recent campaign to pre
vent the publication of a story which
was said to be In the hands of th-a
Democratic national committee. It
was Mr. Cromwell's own act which
raised the Issue In the campaign.
"It is true that when Mr. Roose
velt made attack upon Delavan
Smith The World called atentlon to
certain statements which Mr. Roose
velt must have known to be falso
or misleading and appealed to con
gress to end all scandal by a full
and Impartial Investigation. If this;
be treason, let Mr. Roosevelt make
the most of it.
"Mr. Roosevelt'9 lamentable habit
of Inaccurate statements makes is
Impossible to accept either his judg
ments or his conclusions. In his
message he does not state correctly
even so simple a matter as the pre
tended causes of his grievance. The^
World has never said that Charles
P. Taft or Douglas Robinson made
any profits whatever. Mr. Taft de
nied that he was concerned in the
transaction in any way, which de
nial the World published and ac
cepted. It would have been equally
glad to print Mr. Robinson's denial
could it have succeeded in obtain
ing one from him as it frequently
attempted.
"The World has no evidence that
he was associated with Mr. Crom
well and would accept his word to
that effect, for Mr. Robinson is an
estimable gentleman of high char
acter, whose reputation for veraci
ty is infinitely better than that of
his distinguished brother-in-law.
"If Tho World has libeled any
body wo hope it will be punished,
but we do not intend to be intimi
dated by Mr. Roosevelt's threats or
by Mr. Roosevelt's denunciations,
or by Mr. Roosevelt's power.
"No other living man ever I so
grossely libeled the United States as
does this president, who besmirches
congress, bulldozes judges, assails
the integrity of courts, slanders pri
vate citizens and who has shown
himself the most reckless, unscrupu
lous demagogue whom the American
people ever trusted with great power
and authority.
"We say this not in anger but
In sincere sorrow. The World has
immeasurably more respect for tho
office of president of the United
States than Theodore Roosevelt has
ever shown during the years in whicn
he has reign of terror and villlfied
the honor and honesty of both pub
lic officials and private citizens, who
opposed his policies or thwarted him
in his pnropses.
"So far as The World is concen
trated, its proprietors may go ta
Jail, If Mr. Roosevelt succeeds, as
he threatens; but even in jail The
World will not cease to be a fear
less champion of free press and a
fr&e people,"