University of South Carolina Libraries
A ROUTED ARMY, Japs And Russians Pictured On The March And In Battle. MUKDEN CAMPAIGN. The Capture of Two Whole Regiments of Russians, at One Time. Some Rus sians Badly Frightened when Cornered. One Hundred Thousand Prisoners. Headquarters of Gen Kuroki's Army, near Tiehling, March 25.-The first realization of the immensity of the Ja panese forces was brought home to the observer when the two central armies rolled across the Shaho on the morn ing of the 8th of March in the wake of the retreating Russians. Hitherto during the battle parts of two or three brigades of infantry,.with a few batta lions of reserves, a dczan or more bat teries, with pack trains and tield h: s pitals, were all that one person could see in the mountainous country of the great armies engaged. But when the whole array moved northward with its impediments following it was an im pressive host. Loking from the heights where the Russian bitteries had been, one could see many khaki colored processions for miles on either hand, emerging from the valleys and passes where the Japanese had been concentrating since October, stream ing across the dry bed of the river and the narrow channels of ice and wind ing away among the bare hills and sandy plains northward. It was a bus Iness like army, swathed in dark blue and khaki with no spectacular sho,of gold braid, nor brass, and hardly a touch of color except the scarlet blank ets worn over the sholders. Most of the ranks were boys yet, b.ut they were toughened by a year of campaign. ing into hardy veterans. They plod ed on silently, as usual with no show of rejoicing over victory, without con fusion or excited officers. Japanese do minion over Manchuria was spreading at the rate of two miles an hrour. By the river banks were fields of kaoliang which had stood unharvested since fall between the lines of hostile cnon, and through these were swarming men, women and children, reaping and stack Ing their crops. The chinnaman frit ters away no time gaping at victorious armies when a few dollars are to b gathered. For 10 days from that morning the whole cauntry within the erea or the fighting was covered with a midst of fine dust stirred up by the feet of more than a million men and anixals. it never settled for a minute, it ecock ed the throat and blindt d the eyes, lifted under clothing, mad- fcod grit-. ty and turned all water into mud. The flames from burning houses and stacks of grain showed through it in the night like the moon through fog. The sana storms, which bega~n on tlhe second day of the purstue and coatirued at intervals for a week, came frem th north directly into the faces of the Japanese and made the discoxfort and hardship worse. There was a great contrast between the ctountry south of the Shaho and north of it. The vil lages toward Mukden were larger and more prosperous, withbbetter buildings, and the picturesque temples and tomhs surrounded by groves of dark green firs made a welcome panorama to the eyes of the men from beautiful Japan, -who had spent months among the dreary and monotonous hills. Uinese families gathered in front of their houses and greeted the Japanese with shouts. Doubtless they were equally ready to acclaim the Russians, and denounce the Japanese when it was politic. Outside the large towns Chi nese officials wearing their robes of office and buttons on their cans, wita banners and soldiers inl gaudy uni forms, received the Japanese generals, and Gen. Kuroki and his staff rode into the villsge where his hear quar ters are now through a double file of villagers kneeling on both sides of the road. THE RUSSIAN RLETREAT. The beginning of the Russian re treat from the Shaho was orderly and ' they left a clean field. None of their portable effects worth taking had been abandoned, except hundreds of stacks of tin cases in the trenches and huts, containing cartridges. Toward evening of that day Gen. Kuroki's troops overtook their rear guards eight cr nine miles north of the Shako and from that time the re treat became a scramrbie for safety. A t the various supply stations huge piles of grain were fired and sm'.uiceredi or days. The pursuit condcnued all through the night of the eighth and the right division of Kuroki's army came rto the branch line of railroad running from Mukden to the mines at Fashun. On the morning of the 9tm the sand storm began, which threw -both sides into confusion and made or - derly retreat or pursuit on a largte scale impossible. All the telegraph wires connectingr the headquarters and the different divisions were blown down so that each contingent proceed ed largely on its own responsibility. The left division crossed the H annio under cover of the tuicic dust clouds without a battle. Apparently the Rus sian commander was afraid to risk a defense on such a day even in the elaborate works, whizh should ha'e made the Hunbo the most formidable line of defense, perhaps because his own men were in a panic. Prebably this was the decisive day of the bat tie, for the Japanese forces west of -Mukden were being pressed hard and the brigade on the ?xtreece left wa> almost wiped out. Bad Bildering re pulsed Krc>ki two or thr~e diais at the Hunho the Russian resec ves might have been able to turn the tide at Mukden Gool ger-eraship and good fortune made history other r ise. Ku ropatkin bad hurrie d his reserves from Mukden east to Fushun as the Ja~p anese had plan~ned that he stiould, anid then hurried them back w~ Mukden, but only too late. The Japanese cen tre army from Kuroki's left a as push ing past Mukden to the no.-th and' Kuroki's left division was marching still further north protecting its right flank. Having lost tue Eua:ho the Rus-| 'sian central army lef t Mukccen to itsi fate . and continued its now dsordcrly retreat to Tiehling. Tat all their dead were left where they fell show ed what the retreat had become. On the morning of the 10'.h, tue left. di vision again encountered the Russian rear guard in considerable force north east of Mukden arnd as the Russians attempted to make a stand they were beaten in two engagements, and in the afternoon the division arrived at the onmf atas 10 miles beyond Muk ,en, and on the main road from Mu-- I len to Tiehling. MAUCHED DAY AND NIGUT. Until the 10th the army had been pushed forward day and night in the race of every diticulty to draw the at tention of the Russians from Mukden, and the men were nearly exhausted by their forced march. The military roads from Fushun to Tiehling wound along the plains'among sharp hills and the division followed this to get to the north of Mukden while Gen. Linevitch took most of his men di rectly north through the mountains with the Japanese right army pursu ing. Several times the Japanese had sharp brushes with the rear guard but no important action until the 14th, when tbeay approached the rarge of high steep hills siven miles southeast of Tiehling which was strategically the strongest defense of the city. There was a broad level plain in front of the hills and no avenue of approach for an attacking force except to cross this plain under such covers as could be found in the gullies and behind oc casional ridges. Consequently it was decided to attempt the night attack with the biyonet once more, and thus the first line of trenches below the hills was gained. For the general advance in the morning of the 14th two battalions were assigned for the frontal attack, one for a diversion on the right and the largest force of eight, on the left. A direct charge upon the main trenches was impossi be because the slope before them was almost too steep to be scaled even witu no resistance. A lower hill to the west and in front was vulnerable on its west flank and after an artillery engagement the main body occupied this. Night stopped the fighting and before morcing tue Russians had re tired in haste leaving 200 dead, while the Japanese had 809 casualties. The last stand of the Russians before Tieh ling was on a chain of hills 3,000 me tres southeast of the city equipped elaborately with a long chain of trenches and well constructed gun positions 'while they held 24 hours. While the general of division was re connoitering the positiors on the af ternoon of the 15th another Japanese brigade from the south began to en gage one of the Russian batteries. This partly exposed the Russian flank to the enemy and 36 Japinese guns we. e concentrated in a bombardment of that position. Darkness again in te:rupted the work after an hour's bombardment and again the Russians retreated, abandcning without seri ous resistance their most valuable de pot between Mukden and Haabin, which was their strongest military po sition as well. Gen. Kuropa-.kin bad been there in his. spncial train until the afternoon of the 15th, it was said. When the first Japanese com pany entered the settlemeat at 1 in the moining they cap ure. the sta tion master and two o her cfficers who had b -en left with orders to apply the tor ..h at the last moment, bat only a fe-OW buildiogs were burn:i and there were vaiuable stores of munitions un damager . A DRAMATIC ENCOUNTER. No more dramatic encounter oc curred during this eventful week than the ocapture of tbe Firth and Nine teentii regiments of Russi?.n r.fies b/ Kuroki's left division on the mo rning of the lith. In the~ panic whica pre vaikd at Mukde-n then tnese two regi ments left at 3 in the m rning witn no general commanding them, and a mixed crowd of s -idiers from other or ga..izations and followers attaching themselves to tine retreat. . Wisen the two forces discovered one another they quickly f ormed into fightingr line adi toe Russians came on with the oticers in front of the ranks to cut their way through. T:;e contact was so sud den that there w as no confusion at first, in which the Japanese gene ral and his staff with two foreign at taches came under the fire of the Jap anese ritles and guns. The fight was short and decisive. Tne Russians could not stand in the open fields un der the shrapnel and soon scattered like sheep while many parties waved towels and handke-rchiefs, to surren der. Thre Japanese had only 200 cas ulties while dead and wounded Rus sians were all over the field. During the rest of the day toe Japanese were occupied hunting for Russiars in all the surrounding country. They had broken up into small parties, were fleeing in every direction, some trying to get back to Mukden, others to finad roads of escape northward, and many hiding in the ravines and in Chinese houses. However brave they were in fighting, when cornered some made spectacles of themselves hardly to be expected of men of a military race. Doubtless the men were unnerved by the strain of long fighting, but the Siberians captured earlier in the war bore themselves with the dignity of soldiers. Whether the Europoan troops who have been sent to the east are the best quality of the Rusiian army there is no means or judging, but certainly they have niot compared favorably in physique or fighting qual ities with the Siberians, particularly the east Siberian sharpshu.oters. That is the cpinion of the Japanese offcers. The total of prisoners taken that day wr s nearly 4,000. They were a fierce and savage looking crowd, all wearing big black or white sheepskin hats. many in dirty fur coats, mcs:)of them heavily b?.arded, all unwashed for days. Among tne omfcers were seve ral old men. one of tuem, a veteran of the Russo-Turkish war, with a white beard hanging to his waist, who gave his age as 72 The next morning they went down the road in a big cloud of dust-a long and picturesque procession of dejected looking Moujiks, with their offcers riding in Chinese carts, and jeering Manchurians run ing along the flanks-to join the army of Russians in Japan which now number nearly 100,000. Tercible Tr-agedy. On Monday morning of last week F. J. Gunnels, a white man, drove from his home at Govan to his farm near Olar. Here he found Gloster Daniels, a negro, who has always borre a go:;d reputation. Daniels was plowing and when Gunnels got near to ihim he shot the negro In the left side with a double barreled shotgun. The wound ed man ran in fright and terror, about a half mile, and then fell to the ground, his wife following. She and another negro carried him to a friend's home, where he died Tuesday morn i-g about dawn. The slayer has been in the asylum once or twite, it is sad, from the effects of whiskey, but w-heno sober Is rational. He has a arge family connection and is a man i considerable means. The cause of he shcoting is said to be that Daniels iid not bring in some oats on Satur lay afternoon, after being told to do ;o by Gunnels. The white man went :0 the negro's home on Sunday morn ng, it is said, and told Daniels' wifei tat he would kill her husband, butj' he negress did not believe that he I A CATERPILLAR PLAGUE. A Train ;Stopped by Multitudes of the Creeping Insects. Sometime ago some sections of Georgia were visited by a plague of caterpillers, which became almcst un bearable. For several days reports had been going into Savannah of the ravages of the insects within a few miles of the city. Finally a represen tative of the Augusta Chronicle visit ed the stricken section and was as tounded at the situation. The cater pillers had become a plague as de structive as any that ever visited the west or committed depredation in Biblical times. The pests actually overran a church and made it unfit for use. The streams were so badly covered with them that when it was decided to have a baptizing one Sunday; brush brooms had to be employed to clean off the surface of the water. Two ne gro families have been run out of their homes by the great borde of hungry, hairy things, and Richard Dotson, who lived at Pooler, had to put his entire family of twelve at work to keep them from overrunning his home. These are hard but tiue stories of the plague. The residents about Pooler sur rounded their homes with ditches to keep the conquering army back. On the turpefitine farms of Judge F. S Lathrop, chairman of the board of county commissioners of Chatham County, work was at a standstill. All the turpentine boxes that had the least gum in them had to be dipped and thrown away, as the caterpillars bad crawled into them, stuck there and died. At Willis Station, on the Seaboard railway, a freight train was staled by the caterpillars. The dead insects caused such a stench that the people passing that way were made sick. ALLEGED VOTE FRAUDS. Four Men Arrested for Making False Election Returns. Three managers of election, M. L. Fox, George, Busbee and J. A. Arm strong, and a par.isan, named T. D. Mitchell, were arrested Wednesday morning in the town of Brok kland, across the Congaree river from Colum bia, charged with fraud against the State elec:ion laws and with conspir acy on the ground that they made false returns in the rccent election cld there fur the choice of an inten dent. Busbee has turned State's evidence, but is too sick to be locked up. The others are bebind the bars. Candidate Gunnells, who was c;'unted out by three votes, alleges that he holds affi davits from 117 out of the 151 voters who paricipated in the election de claring that they voted for him. Fox is a groceryman and alleged blind tig-er, Busbee is a cotton mill opera tive. Armstrong is a mlU operative and clerk and Mitchell was a witness for the defence in the Jim Tillman murder trial. Intendaut G. B. McCombs, in wbcse interest the alleged frauds were com mitted, escaped after an exciting chase at 2 o'clock Wednesday morn ing, near Cayce. Learning that war rants were out he and Fox skipped together. They were overtaken by a party of three special deputies. When Fox and McComnbs were headed off suddenly, they showed fight. Mo Combs reached for his revolver. Fcx then grabbed D.eputy Mayers and as the latter was throwing him to the ground McComnbs escaped, just as the other deputies came up Before Fox gabbed him Mayers firod twice at McCombs without efft ct. THE WE~ATHER IN .TUNE. What the Records Show for the Last Eighteen Years. The following data, covering a period of 18 years. have been compiled from the weather bureau records at Columbia. They are lssued to show the conditions that have prevailed, during the' month of June, for the above period of years, but must not be construed as a forecast of the weath er conditions for the coming month. Temperature-Mean or normal tem perature 719 degrees. The warmest month was that of 1890, with an aver age of 8i degrees. The coldest month was that of 1903 with an average of 74 degress. The highest tem perature was 103 degress on June 10th, 1889. The lowest temperature was 47 degrees on June 1st, 1889. Tlbe latest dae on which last "killiing" !rost oc currr.d in spring, April 17:.h, 1905. Preclpita.ting (rain or melted snow) -Average for the month, 4 16 inche.. Average numbor of days wish 01 of an inch or more, 5. Tne gr eat est monthly precipl ation was 9 97 lr~ches in 1903. The least monthly precipita tion was 1.13 inones In 1890. The greard; est amcunt of precipitation recorded in any 24 consecutive hours was 3.60 inches on June 6th, 1903. The greatesr amount of snowfall recorded in any 24 consecutive hours (record extending to winter of 1884 85 orbl) was none. Clouds and weather-Average num ber of clear days, 10; partly cloudy days, 13; cloudy days. 71. WIn:-The prevaiihg winds have been from the southwest. The aver age hourly velocity of the wind is 7 miles per hour. The highest velocit3 of the wind was 42 miles from the west on June 7th, 1902. Made Him Confess. At Knoxville, Tenn., influenced by a sermon which he heard from the lips of Rev. Sam Jones, the evange list, Win. S. Keller Wednesday de ciced to confess his part in election rottenness. The Knox county judge. sip is now being coutested in a local court on a charge of election bribery, etc. K-ener has twice been on the stand and has twice refused to answer certain pointed questions. Wednes day he again appeared and voluntari ly asked to zestify. The privilege was grante d him, and be then told, among dramatic scenes, how he, as oficer of elction, had stuffed the bal lot box in the eleventh ward, and had marked from two to three hundred votes for the straight Democratic ticket and had stuffed them into the ballot box. In his confession he also la.plcated several city officials for al iged parts that they played in trying o cover up evidences of the rotten aess by adding names to the poll lists af the ward to make them conform to the votes polled. JaphLosses. Japanese reports say total losses of rapanese number about eight hun Ired men. Three torpedo boats sunk w'ere all the war vessels lost by Japan. L'ie admiral says it will be several lays before a detailed report of losses ? el a of the rcnpnurrd mean te 1 COTTON LETTER. Of Theodore H. Price, With Figures Pointing to a Small Crop. His Report, Covering the Cotton Belt, Shows a Decrease of 29.5 Per Cent. Over Last Year. The following is Mr. Theodore H. Price's cotton crop report for the monthof May, issued from New York: Herewith I submit my monthly re port on the cotton crop, made up from 7,346 replies to a postal card inquiry which comprised the following ques tions: What is the precentage of increase or decrease in cotton acreage in your section as compared with last year? What percentage of the total con templated area has been planted upon the date of your reply? Is the crop with you earlier or later than the normal, and how many days? Expressed in percentage, what is the present condition of the crop in your section, assuming 100 per cent. to be the standard of normal or reason ably perfect development at this sea son* This Is one of the most extensive Inquiries ever made by me. Replies have been received from 3,386 towns in 806 cotton producing counties. The total number of cotton-producing counties, according to the last Census returns, is 822, so that the entire belt may be regarded as having been effec tively covered. The average date of my replies is May 19th, and the statement of con dition does not, therefore, reflect the heavy damage caused by the excessive rains in Texas on May 21st. For this reason the Government re port, which is made up from replies as of the date of May 25th, may per haps show a lower condition than that given by my correspndents. Last year the condition as reported by my correspondents on the 20th of each month during the growing sea son averaged wittin 4 points of that reported by the Government, and the average of my correspondents' crop estimates published by mi on the 3d of November was 12,177,603, or within 14.903 bales of the estimate of the Agricultural Department published a month later. The details of my report, State by State, will be found below. The indicated decrease in acreage, as compared with last year through out the entire belt, Is 17.3 per cent. The condition of the crop, assum ing 100 per cent. to be the standard of normal or reasonably perfect de velopment at this season, 70.8 per cent. Of the total contemplated area, my correspondents report that there had been planted up to May 19th 79 per cent. On the average the crop is reported later than the rormal by 17 days. SU3DIARY. State. Replies. Decrease Condition Acreage per cent. N. Carolina 615 20.6 79.4 S. Carolina 735 15.2 76.3 Georgia 1,194 14.5 83.5 1lorida 59 17 80.5 Alabama 854 12.2 83 8 Mississippi 976 19.2 66.6 Louisiana 324 19.5 62.6 Texas 1,483 18.2 58.8 Arkansas 522 21.9 62.8 Tennessee 262 18.1 81.4 In Territory 160 18.8 74.9 Oklahoma 133 23.1 83.7 Missouri 14 15.9 82.8 Virginia 15 24.5 89 Total 7,346 17.3 avg 70.8 av The outlook, as suggesLsed by these igures, is of the gravest Import to the trade. The aggregate reduction and acreage as compared with the Government's figures of last year of the same date, indicate an initial contraction in the producing capacity of the cotton area planted, or to be planted, of 29.5 per cent. Admitting that the crop or 1904-5 was 14,000,000 bales, the present indications poins to a crop of 29.5 per cent. less, or 9,870, 000 bales, as.suming that the condi tions hereafter are as phenomenally and unusually favorable as the grow ing and picking season of last year proved to be. This is hardly prob able. The deterioration in the crop con dition, as reported by the Govern ment between the first of June and tre first of October last year was only 7.2 per cent., the least on record for the past ten years, the average de terioration during the summer and autumn for the previous nine years having been 20 per cent. The indicated acreage for the c.zm ing season is 2,674,000 acres less th~an that planted two years ago, and which prduced a commercial crop of Or.,iy 10055,000 bales. The conditi n as reported by my correspondents Is 2.3 per cent. lower tan tne condition reported by the Gvernmoent In 1903. Only 79 per cent. of the a-Ea has been planted andi the crop iL 17 days later than the normal, whereas last year's crop was generaLly admitted to be two weeks eai:er than the normal. Spinners' takings for the current season will p-cab~iy reach, If they do not -exceed, 12,500,000 bales, and the prE sent rate of consumpti:>n undibted ly calls fc'r another orn p of 12,000,000 bales or over to adequately supply tne world's demand. Tuere seems to be no prorpect of any such production, but a pos~ibilir.a 'n the other hand of a crop not over 10 500,000~and possib ly less than 10,000,000 balee. THEODORE H. Parcz. The DJefeat Explained. The cardinal causes of Rojestven sky's defeat have been the subject of general discuesion here. One Japa nese expert gives the followIng ana alysis: "First, and im.zperfect reconnols ance and Incomplete faculty and mis leading intelligence. "Secoud, an imperfect battle forma tion which indicated that Rojestven sky did not expect to meet Togo off Tsushima. "Third, the weather, the direction of the wind and the sunlight were un i~vorable to the Russians, Togo hav ing the sian behind him and firing with the wind, while the Russians had the sun light in their eves and fired against the wind. "Fourth, the Russians wasted their mmunition and eventually ran short. [ is believed that the surrender of ebogatoff was necessary because, his 1mmunition had been exhausted. "Fifth, the marked inferiority of the Russian gunnery." Voelkersam Was Kinled. Rear Admiral Voelkersam, com nander of the battleship squadron of he Russian fleet, was killed the first ay of the battle, M~ay 27, In the con ing t3wer of his flagship, the battle ihip Oslabya, one of the vessels sunk y the Japanese. It was Voelkersam's ;quadron, according to a report, which1 red on the Brirish trawlers in the forth sea, mistaking them for Japan- I PROTECT YOUR COTTON. Good advice to Those Who Are Hold ing the Staple. The Wilmington Morning Star says it has refrained from the occa sional course of its contemporaries of giving gratitous advice to its friends behind the hoe who are the bone and sinew of the country, and who are, in these enlightened days of progressive farming, generally tetter judges of practical questions than many who take a superficial or sentimental view of the situatioi. The Star is, how ever, in a position to know that many of its friends are suffering serious loss by the unwise expcsure on the planta tions of thousands of balks of cotton to the continuous Spring rains this season, which has been estimated, in many instances, as high as 30 per cent. of the market value. It has been claimed by some of those who have no stRIng facilities that the bales will not suffer much injury in the open if they are kept on their edge upon poles which hold them a few inches clear off the ground; and, if the bales are turned upside down after every rain in order that the moisture absorbed may be quickly evaporated. It is also claimed that the cotton so treated will gain in weight to the farmers' advantage and that the risk of loss by fire is reduced to a minimum without the expense of insurance. It must be manifest by experience, however, that these specious claims are not sustained by results. Ex posure to the sun and winter rain warps ar.d defaces the bagging,- rusts the bops, and makes an unsightly package, while the later warmer rains of the spring heats the cotton, fer mentation follows-and in many in stances thirty to sixty pounds of rot. ting and worthless cotton must be re moved and the bale repacked in a crude and unsatisfactory way before it is fit for shipment. We have seen in Wilmington recently thousands 01 damaged bales waiting for the slow and expensive process of picking be fore they can b3 shipped as merchant able. Many ef4these bales must prove a loss of at least a cent a pound t< the farmer. Moreover, the practice of exposing cotton at the plantations seems to be largely corficed to our own section that is to say, the Carolinas. Farther S.outh a better method prevails anc the warehouse system is used by many farmers who have no storage facilities. It should notV be overlooked that mill buyers and exoorters prefer the lots that have been protected even by a temporary and inexpensive shelter which Is within the means of every producer. There is, then, no question ss to actual weights and grades, noi any delay in settlements, nor any re jection of mis-shapen bales. We are informed that some of the principal buyers are now refusing tc bid on exposed and damaged cotton because of recent heavy reclamations from mills at home and abroad. We also learn from representatives of Marine Underwriters that insurance against country damage will be diffi. cult to obtain next season, even at advanced premiums. It behooves the cotton plantel with these facts bef'ore him to pro. tect his cotton crop from damage by simple and reas::nable precautions af ter it has p-assed the inevitable viccis situdes of frost, 'Prought, excessive moisture, rust, insects and othei natural and unnatural foes between the plantin~g and the picking of thie royal gift of God. BOYS AND GIRLS In the Graded schools or the State Who Graduate. Tbree years ago the Observer made a comparison of the number of boys and girls "graduating" in town and city graded schools, the number of girls then being far in excess of the boys. N(oticing the newspaper re ports of school "commencements" tbis spring, we find that the propor tion Is about the same as it was three years ago. Tne following instances are representative of the conition that prevails throughout the state: BOYs. GIELs. Anderson............6 10 Barnwell..............1 5 Drlington...........4 7 Forence.............1 9 Lancaster............3 10 Laurens.............2 4 Lexington...........1 9 Marlboro............2 7 N~wberry ............ 0 4 Rock Hill............4 4 S-. Georges..........0 4 St. Matthews..........1 3 Smter..............9 6 So it apears that abo-ut three times as many gis a- o-'ys are completing the work in t' raded schools Oce reaon for thi .2ffrt-nce Is that boys are eager to get into business and to begin the work of money-making. Anoi-hc: reason is that nearly all the teachers in tbe graded schools are women, and boys do not like to be "oosed" by women. The proportion of boys ard girls who complete the graded schi:ol work ia about the pro portion that go rhe colleges. Tne wo m.n of the rising generation are being much better e'.ucated than the men. -Newberry Observer. The' Stupid Rdssians. Russiau torpedo boats from Vladi vostok captured the Japanese steamer Daishen off Hokkaico and placed a prze crew on board with orders to take the vessel to port. By mistake the Russian commander of the Dal sbhen headed for Gensan, Korea, and met a Japanese transport. The latter seeing the Russian flag flying from the Daishen intended to recapture the vessel when the Japanese captives aboard the steame-r on seeing their cmpatriots attacked the prize crew, recapturned the vessel and eventually took her to Gensan. Sentenced to Death. A specIal fiom Cullman, ala., says hat the jury in the case of John iliams, chargad with the murder of kate Senator Robert L. Hipp, re urned a verdict of gulty of murder n the first degree Wednesday and fixed punishment at death. Williams was sentenced to be hanged June 14. Williams' son, aged 20, begged the ourt to permit him to be hanged in is father's stead. Williams Is a far er and shot Hipp while he and a eputy sheriff were attempting to levy opon some of Williams' property. An mppeal will be taken to the supreme 3ourt. In Open Revolt. The Russian army In Manchuria is laid to be in a bad state. According to , dispatch from St. Petersburg the ~roops are in open revolt and cannot a depended upon to do much figrhting ne news of Rajestvensk;'s defeat 1s iven as the reason. UXPLODED A BOMB Under the Carriage of the President and the King. Wednesday night at Paris an anar chist threw a bomb at a carriage containing Alfonso, King of Spain, and Lambert, President of France, as they were leaving the opera at mid night after a gala performance. The bomb exploded without injuring either the President or the King, but several soldiers belonging to the escort were wounded. A large number of arrests have been made, including the person who is believed to have thrown the bomb and three persons suspected of com plicity in the plot as the latter were seen under the archway of the Louvre with a destructive engine a few min utes before the explosion took place. Great ecitement followed the ex plosion, rumors spreading immediate ly that the threats made by the an archists to assassinate King Alfonse when he came to Paris had been suc cessfully carried out. It has been known very generally in Paris that King Alfonso was added to the anarchist's list of victims marked for slaughter recently, and when the annoucement was made that the young King would visit Paris the anarchists declared that they would make use of the visit to carry out their plot. The secret police notified Madrid of the existence of the plot and 'dvised the police of Madrid to be on the look out. At the same time they arm s:ed thirty-seven anarcbists in Paris and placed them incommunicado. Wrought up by these events and the fear that her son's life was in danger the Qaeen Mother of Spain personal. appealed to President Loubet to have every protection afforded to the young King while he was on French territory. When Alfonso reached the Frenet border, he was taken in charge by the French secret police and since then he has been constantly guarded by secre1 police agents as well as by thoe uniform ed police and soldiery. Matters were aggravated by the So cialists, who at a meeting held just be fore the arrival of the King, resolved to make his visit as uncomfortable as possible by hissing him every time he appeared in public and otherwise ex pressing their disapproval of him. Despite the police precautions, King Alfonso had not been in Paris two days before an open display of force was made against him. While he and Pres ident Loubet were driving in the B->is de Boulogne a man broke through the police line and, dodging the mounted escort, brandished a dagger before the Kinv's eyes, crying: "Down with the inquisitors! Long live the workers!" The man was placed under arrest, and at the police stition was found to be a jeweller's worker named Gar nery, who had previously had trouble with the police because of his revolu tionary opinions. WIATHI AND CROPS. Grassy Fields the Complaint. Grea1 Scarcity of Lsabor Reported. The following report as to the con dition of the crops has been Issued by Section Director Bauer: The first half of the week ending Monday, May 29th, was much cooler than usual; the latter half had nearly normal temperatures. There -was a harmful deficiency in sunshine. High easterly winds prevailcd generally, though the winds were light at the close of the wee'r. Light frost was reperted from Cherokee connty on the 22nd and 23rd. There were from four to six days with rain, and in places the predlpita tion was excessive, notably in Darl ington and uhesterlield counties where lands were badly washed and bottom lands flooded. The weekly amount of rain was largely in excess of the nor mal, and at Oheraw ov.er five inches were noted. The rainfall was about normal in the central counties, but the ground was kept wet so that only from one to three days plowing and cultivation were practicable. Boeing made better progress. Farm work was further delayed and is backward, with many fields very foul with grass and weeds, and there is a continued scarcity of farm labor ers in all parts of the state, so that the grassy fields are becoming a se rious menace to crops. While a fewv reports indicate that cotton Is doing weli on uplands, more esgeiay on red and clay lands that hive reen cultivated, thle majority of the reports indicate the crop to be in an unproising condition with the plants Email, and red or yellow, and their growth checked by the cool nIghts. Many fields are grassy and the probabiity Is that some will be abandoned in all parts of the state, owing to their foul condition and the impracticability of cleaning them. Pants continue ro dile on sandy lands. Lice have appeared in a number of counties. Cihopping madie fair pro gress, but has not been~ fi: ished In the westeren counties. Sea-island cotton is in a poor condition. Early corn that has been properly culivated is promising, but the larger portion of the crop is yellow and sick ly. Planting of bottom lands made slow progress during the week, anzi there is still much to be planted. Wheat is ripe and some has been cut. Oats are generally fine, especially spring oats. Fall oats are ripening and harvest is under way. It has been too wet for tobacco and some is iring. Some peas have been sown, ad sweet potatoes transplanted. Truck shipments have about ended. The wet weather has caused peaches to rot badly. Pastures are fine, and gardens are doing well. Drowned Sell and Chuiaren. Mrs Tip Sanders drowned herself ad children in a creek near her home, wo miles South of Sulphur Springs, exas, Wednesday. The oldest child was a boy of six years of age. The ther children were two girls, aged hree years and ten months respec ively. The tragedy, it is said, was the result of demestic troubles. San ers, the husband, left home In the orning to work on the public road. eturning home for dinner he found note on the table from Mrs. Sanders, telling him that he would find the odies of his wife and children In the reek. Deserted His Wife. RobertOC. Davidson, a former mayor of Baltimore, has deserted his wife ad run off to Europe with Miss Laura . Noyes, a trained nurse of Port De posit, Md. Before going he converted tis property, worth $200,000, into ash and securities, which he carried wh him, leaving his wife nothing. GREATLY REDUCED. Mr. Smith Challenges the Government Figures on Cotton Acreage. He Gives Much Interesting Data About the Growing Crops as Well as Labor Conditions. The Cotton Growers' association has won its fight, if all reports be true. The State says Mr. Smith, who was in Columbia Saturday thinks that Mr. Jordan should have -made a spirited challenge of the report made to the g vernment by its agents re cently. The cotton association re ports the reduction in acreage to be 18.43 per cent. and the government reports fix the estimated reduction at 11 per cent. There is quite a differ ence In these estimates, amounting to 840,000 bales in the aggregate. While the cotton association has no crop condition figures of its own from last year to go by, still It appears that the report of the government agents is subj ct to criticism from a. compari son with its own figures of last year The government report indicates that the condition now is 77 and 4-10 of a perfect crop, whereas with almost ideal weather last year the condition was reported to be 77 and 8 10, just a little better than this year. Mr. Smith thinks these figures must be wrong. Texas is ten weeks late, whereas last year the crop work was kept right up to date. While he was ia Texas a short time ago he saw for himself how the crop in that State is in bad condition because of the rains, and a Baptist mlnist-r just from the Southern Baptist convention at Fort Worth states that the crop is at a standstill-just the same as it was four weeks ago. If this be true, and Mr. Smith has every reason to believe that It Is, the crop will be very, very short in Texas, for what will be plant ed late will be focd for the boll weevil. Another thing to which Mr. Smith directs attention is the fact that last year one hand could attend to a full crop because the seasons were propi. ti-us. But this year one hand can at tend to only half what he could- last year, and those who have planted largely are complaining of the scarcity of labor. Their crops are run away with by the grass and unless the farm ers decide to let part of the crop go, they may lose all in trying to save the whole acreage from grass. Another thing which puzzles Mr. Smith Is how Mr. Theodore Price can see such a wonderful change in the crop within ten days. A fortnight ago Mr. Price published widely a state ment declaring that the crop would be short 17 per cent. Within the last few days he has published a subsEquent statement in which he thinks the crop will not beso much short af ter all. Mr. Smith discredits Mr. Price and cal6 upon all southern people to turn a deaf ear to this cotton speculator. The Southern Cotton association is sending out reports compiled from the statement from the various States in the cotton belt, These reports show that in Alabama every county has sub mitted a report; Arkansas, 70 out of 71 counties; Florida, 22 out of 23; Georgia, 110 out of 127; Louisiana. 50 out- of 52; Mississippi, 61 out of 74; North carolina 51 out of 68; Soutn Carolina, all but one; Tannessee, 25 out of 42; Texas, 145 out of 184; Okla homa, 17 out of 22; IndIan Territory, 24 out of 26 Ina all 17,754 replies have been received and were tabulated at the meeting at New 0:leans last Thursday, 634 being from this State. A great'number of replies came in after Mr. Weston had forwarded his report to New 0:leans, but these mere ly verified what had been sent on. Following is the acteage report as tabulated from the statements sent to the New Orleans me-eting: COTTON ACEEAGE. Percentage Acreage Acreage Dec. 1904 1905 Alabama.......12.03 . 4.013,000 3,526,233 Arkamm.......23.75 2,20, 00 1,6s5,125 Fiorida.......19.85 300,000) 240,450 Georgia........11.64 4,450,000 3,932,020 Louisiana......18.67 1,940,000 1,577,802 Mississippi...20.05 3,745.000 2.977,275 North CarcIina..21.26 1,330 000 1,047,242 South Carolina..13.06 2,573,000 '223,072 Ten'essee....... 8 07- 879,000- 729,261 Texas.........21.11 8,704,000 6.896,t85 Okiahomia......24.46 502,000 397,210 Indian Ter......26. 936,000 69,640 Total acreage.......31,730,000 25 980,951 ThIS report snows Lexas, Arican sas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Indian Territory to be -three weeks late with planting. Alabama is two weeks late and Georgia and the Ohrolinas are each one wtek late. The only ferniihzer reports -are as follows: Alatama, reduction of 12 per centa 3-nrgia, 20 p'r cent.; NIorenl Carolina. '44 07 per cenrt ; South Caro lina, 11.00 per cent Labor conditions-Alabama and Ar kans.as rei,'rt -'very scarc<.;" no re port from Fiorida ana North Carolina; all other States report 'scarce." Progress of farm work-Alabama, Arkansus and Louisiana repor3 "very grassy;" Florida and Mississippi, nu report; G.eorgia, N~rth Caroilna, Ten nes-ee, Oklahoma and Ind~au Terri t-ry report "fair;" South Carolina, 'grassy;" Texas, "bad." The following remarks are publish ed: Alabama-Much now planted will be banaccned Arkasisas, had. Louis iana, too much rain, 10 per cent. not planted. South Carolina, too much rain. Eight Sailors Hung. Details from a trustworthy source eave no room for doubt, says a dis patch from St. Petersburg, that Ad iral Nebogatoff's sailors mutinied in the battle of the Sea of Japan and ither threw the admiral and many >ficers overboard, or, according to mrother version, bound them in their abins and hoisted the white flag. Eight men in Nebogatoff's squadron were, it Is again asserted, hanged for utiny while they were still in the Itd sea. Child Drauk Poison. A most distressing accIdent occurred t Chester on Wednesday. A little two year old son of Mr. and Mrs. W. '. Woods, got access to a phial of edicine which was used by the cild's father,.and the little one took1 n overdose. In spite of prompt at-1 ention by a physician the child died in about two hours. The parents lost Lst year their first born, a bright lit le girl Their many friends sym~a. hize with them in their fresh grief. TEm Birmingham Ledger says the nited States government is actually I edng some bloodhounds to the Phil-f ippnes to run down the colored men rho do not like our way of controlling bem. History repeats itself. It Ise ot a Democratic administration that s doing this. Nor did the suggestiona ma from a. Southerner. ii A REPUBLIV.& ROW. Tariff Row in Republican Circles the Center of Attraction. The tariff row in the Republican party on the canal is perhaps the most interesting of recent day develop ments. The Panama canal execu tive committee decided, with the ap proal of Secretary Taft, to buy in Europe not only ships but machinery and material for the Panama canal. Walter Wellman, Washington corres pondent for the Chicago Record Herald, say s that this announcement "came like a Shimose bomb shell into the camp of the 'stand-patters' and high taridites" of the Repablican par ty. Mr. Wellman goes on to say that "the decision has been the sensation of the day in political circles. There is much talk among the high-protec tion apostles of the Republican party of appealing to President Rocsevelt for a reversal of the decision, but there is little' prospect that this will do them any good. Tae determination of the executive committee is under stood to have the approval - of the president, as well as of the secretary of war, and if the b-g wall builders do not like tnis blow at their favorite policy they will have to lump it. No one should understand that the deter mination of the executive committee is to buy all its ships, machinery and materials in foreign countries. Prob ably the great bulk of all purchases will be made in the Uaited States. But the decision of the committee is that it will buy where it can buy eneapest. If it can get the lowest pries in the United States, it will purchase here; if foreign manufactur ers and dealers underbid American sellers the contracts will go abroad." It is not surprising that Secretary raft's 6rder has created consterna tion in the ranks of the champions of protection. Mr. Wellman says "on the face of it this looks like nothing more than good business policy. But. it does not please the high azltes at all. They look upon it as rank heresy. They perceive, as everyone perceives, .that It raises the whole tariff question, and raises it in a nan ner calculated to give far more co - fort to Democrats and independents and tariff reformers than to those who have helped push up the walls and who have made exclusion of foreign trade in any form an article ot party faith. It will be a long-time before the Panama commission and the country bears the last of the storm brewed by this important deed sion." Many of the comments on the Taft order are decidedly interesting. A member of congress, interviewed by Mr. Wellman, says: "For genera tions we have been teaching that l# is better to buy at home, even if we have to pay a little higher prices, b cause that is for the general good. That is the very - essence of the pro tection doctrine. Yei- here comes the government and says it Is not willing to abide by te practice of the country. It will break down the rule to which itis at leatmorally apartly and will buy abroad whatever it can buy there cheaper than at home. Ia other words, you and I can't go into the world's markets and buy where we can buy cheapest. -The tariff prevents us. But the government, niaving no duty to pay on what it Im ports into the Isthmus, announces its intention to go into the world's mar k.ats and save all the money It can. A fine example indeed for a govern ment to set in a protection country! What are we coming to any way?" Representative Grosvenor, of Ohio, is reported to be "much disgusted." While delrng that he does not care to pose. as a critic of the adminlstran tion Mr. Grosvenor says: "We have built up the policy of the ~protectiva tarIff in this country on the basis of higher prices. Those prices were high er because we psid our labor better wages. People have become more cog nizaut every year of the benefits of - than policy, and understand tne reason for higher prices. The country would rather pay a little more for something tt was made as home, furnished employment for nome folk and gave them better pay than their iore un forrauuate neignibors abroad enjoyed. If th.e government is to be the com- - plainanit against the prices that are the result of this employment of American labor at American wages, it will certainly furnish a theme for some verv interesting deliberations over the tariff." A Ufni ed States Senator evidently devoted to :-he R publcan party-a pro tection the' ry, said that he .could hardly credit the statement that a commission, actinz under the Repub l:cs~n party proposed to purchase a cozs-derable am;untoisuppliesabroad. Ana? aiothe-r sonator, who, acc~rding to Mr Wellmnan, "stanus high in the Republican parrty," said that Mr. T-af 's action was "highly unfortunate and certain to bring the Republicans face to face with th~e tariff issue In Its senest form." This senator added that Taft's order wculd give the Dam ocratic party "just thie weapan it most badly needed in its fight against the protective tar;ff system." We agre~e with the Washington Post that the standpatters are going to have some d;ffienity in convincing the country than it is a crime for the Panama commilssioners to buy goods on terms that will save the people money. "I have no occupation. I am a gen tleman." This was said in a New York police court by a Eure~pean baron who bad made a disturbance in a theatre lobby. According to this test,. says the Atlanta Journal about the oldy "gentlemen" to be found in New Tork or any other American city are Ve tramps who sit in thie parks by day mnd sleep in them at night. THE Columbia correspondent to the News and Courier mentions a curious wd most interesting fact, it it is one, Ln connection with the negro. It Is aid that a simon pure negro has ~ever been known to commit suicide nd where such cases have been re crtl d it has invariably been found an the sumcide had a strain of white ilood in his veins. THE Columbia Record says some 'tim'a since a press dis;patch stated ~hat Rojestvensky in a letter to a rel tive expressed the hopelessness of his irsion and predicted its complete ailure. Whether he wrote that let er or not he doubt fully realiz d the act that he was doomed to defeat as o one better knew the cspabilities of nen and ships, which outside observ rs had a very poor opinion of. Not ritbsasnding his defeat the Rusian dmiral has displayed great skill and