Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Democrat. .DO THOU, GREAT LIBERTY, INSPIRE OUR SOULS AND MAKE OUR LIVES IN THY POSSESSION II AIP Y FOR OUR DEATHS GLORIOUS IN THY CAUSE.' VOL. xxy BENNETTS VILLE, S. C., ? RID AY, MARCH 17, 1905. NO. 12. THE OIL TRUST Kansas and Other States Are Fighting the Standard. CAUSE OF THE FltfUT. An Interesting Account of the Trouble as Told by a Correspondent of the Omaha World-Herald, .Who Makes Out a Bad Case Against Them. The fight agalu3t the Standard Oil ..Trust by the people of Kansas is at tracting world-wide attention and people In all Ructions of the country are showing their sympathy for Kau- i BU. On February 21, the Illinois i legislature adopted a resolution oller lng to lend the State of Kansas thc sum of 9100,000 without interest, for a period of six years to aid in estab lishing a state oil refinery. Tuis res ! olution referred to the Standard Oil ; trust as ''that merciless octopus whose tentacles now encircle every state In the union." Another resolu tion provided for the appointment of i a joint commiBBlon to confer with the i state officials of Kansas and to Hgree on stepa to be taken for pipe lines to i aid common carriers. Indiana oil producers have organized to tight the ? oil trust and they will urge the erec- i tion of a state refinery. The bill has i been introduced tn the Texas legisla- i ture, making the pipe lines of that i state available to incependeut pro I ducers and it is prc posed by some that the state erect a refinery. Oklahoma i ls likewise considering the erection of 1 a state refinery, together with the i proposition to make oil producers pre- J strve a uniform price throughout the i state. An interesting description of the troubles between Kansas and the oil trust is given by Fiank P. Gallagher, ?the sfciff correspondent for the Omaha "World-Herald, in a dispatch to that newspaper, under date of Topeka, Feb 21. Mr. Gallagher says: 'Tc was a bitter experience with the sinister in- J fluences of Standard Oil that led the ( people of Kanbas, but as late as two J years ago the oil Industry amounted 1 to little. Twelve years ago Standara 1 Oil wriggled Into Kanbas under the s deceptive title of the Forest Oil com c pany. Departing ?rom its historie ' polioy, the Standard Oil management ' determined to develop the fields with- c out walting for the people to oatnb 1 the oil fever. "Near Nendtsha in WU- ' son county many wells were sunk, but s the oil ref used to gush and the hoi- ' ings were abandoned. Standard (Jil 1 relinquished its leases to hundreds of ' iores and surrendered the task of de velopment to the prospectors and pru- j motera." The first Important strike was mad: 1 by Charles Knapp, .six years ago at Chanute, near one of the abandon- d properties of tbe Forest Gil company. 1 A little later lt was found that Perm ! Kansas, was located on a vast oil de- 1 posit. Soou uearly every towu lot ( had Its oil well, and thc Forest Oil ? company returned to the field with ! renewed vigor. As the business de- 1 veloped the Forest Oil company under went several obanges. Its small c?. p 1 lt&Hzation disappeared, and ou Jami * ary 7, 1901, it took the nan e of t?e 1 Prairie Oil and Gas company mid in ? oreased its capltalstock to 82,500,000. Tho company then built pi Le lu e. to 1 Neodeaha from Chanute and at bbc 1 latter point a refinery was establish ed. In 1902 tho supply of oil was : still unsatisfactory to the Standard I Oil folk, and in order to create a boom \ it suddenly raised the price of cru it i oil from 90 couts to 81.10 a barrel I The effect was magical. In tvelve i months tho output grew from 322,- 1 000 barrels with a value of *28!),o0t> a to 1,018,000 with a value ot 81,120.- ? 018. A greater part of the output. I was taken by the Standard Oil com t pany, but each day E. J. Webster, 1 who has nullt an independent refinery < at Humboldt, Kan., tunk 200 barrels, i In tho mtimtime, Standard Oil, ac- > cording to Mr. Gallagher, had been I whetting Its olmitar *ith the luten- ? tlon of striking down the entire ludo < pendent oil industry of Kansas. Th ' capacity of Its piaut at N?odtsba w .s i adaed to until lt had reached 300,UOu I barrels of crude oil a day. The pipe s lints were extern ed until the main ? conduit ran from Tulsa in tb Osage < nation south of the Kansas state line i through Kansas to Kansas U;ty, Mo I At Chaney, Ncodebba, Alloona anri i Humboldt, the Pialrle Oil and Gah company built giant tanks, and began to store oil. By January 1, lOof), it had a total stock on hand ol 5,448,034 barrels. Until last August, when tm Standard finished Its system of pl po lines through the slate, oil hat! beeb bringing prices ranging, fr- m $1.20 tn 81.40 a barrel, according io lbs sptcllh gravity. It was at this juncture tba 1 Standard Oil Bprung Us trap, In which the oil producers and consumers of Kansas and the tingle Indepei dent oil refiner, E. J. Welster, are still Mitiir min?, but with a show of life that astonishes the captor. The pi ice of orude oil began to fall. In h ur re ductions the prices were cut to 7? cts. for a barrel of the hist oil. Am tner smash of 2 cents was made on Janu ary 31, 1905. To what a low level prices for crude oil had sunk ls illus tratad In the following comparative table: Western crude oil pncis-32 degree and above, 70c; 31* to 32, 65e; 31 to 31 J, ?Oe; 3t'? lo 31, 55c; 30 to 30j, 60c; 294 to 30, 45? ; 29 to 29J, 40c; 28i to 29, 3f)0; 28 to 28i, 30c; 22 to 28 heavy, 29o per barrel. Bartleville, I. T., 82o per barrel. Eastern crude oil price: Pennsylvania, 81.40; Tiona, 81.56; .Corning, 81.?7; New Castle, 81.31; North Lima, 93c; youth loma, 88o per barrel. Indiana, 88c; Somer set, 8lc; flagland, 53c; Petrolia, Ont.. 81.33 per barrel. The Prairie Oil and Gas Company then made such rules relative to tests that the owner of a high quality nf oil received no more than one whoso output was of an inferior quality; moreover, the Standard Oil's Inspec tors did all the grading. In some In stances tbey graded the oil high and' when the time came to buy they re graded the same oil in a lower classifi cation. There were other injustices that aroused intense indignation tion among the produceiB, but the worst blow was yet to fall. As soon as the Standard had completed its conduits lt could transport its oil without shipping by ra'".. This the independent dealer could not do. lt was then that the railways advanord the rates from 10 cents to 17 cents per loo pounds. In addition to this, the railways arbitrarily ruled that a gal lon should be held to 7i instead of 4 pounds. The effect was to rn'si the cost of shipping a car of oil to Kansas City and o her river markets from 845 to 3U8. The further effect, was to prevent the producers from shipping their oil and they were compelled to accept Standard Oil prices afc the wells. The m? s J remarkable fact in this connection is that tho four rall ways involved, the Santa Fe, the Mis Knurl Pad He, the 'Frisco and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, absolu ti ly went oufc of thc lucrativo business of transporting oil aud they did this simply because the Standard had so commanded. Speakii g to this correspondent, J. M. Parker, secretary of the. State Oil Producers' uss' elation, said; "If the railways would g've us the origin-'l rate of 10 cents per 100 pounds, or $45 \ car, we could ship all of our oil to Kansas City and other points and it would give us SI per barrel afc the well, lt would give the railways 100 carloads of irelght every day. But the Standard Oil company tells the railroads to desist from hauling any .il whatever, and by an exorbitant rate forcing us to sell to the Stand ard, tho only market in the lields, at i price of 47 cents a barrel, which, jnder thc compulsory rates demanded rroru the railways by the trust, nels ibo producer 7 cents more than If ho iad used the railways." Mr. Gallagher adds: "While the nen who are attackiug Standard Oil .ealiz-j the great pewor of this corpo ration they express confidence that iC insas will yet be able to gain the nasiery. A BLIND TIGER MAN tilled by Train White Transporting Contraband Whlakcv. The Columbia Record savs at half lastone o'clock Friday morning Chief Constable Osborne was informed that i mau transporting contraband liquor tad boen run over ai.d killed at Biau ?y's by tho Seaboard train. That ?t.at?on is iu Kershaw county, twenty mo miles from Coulumbia, and it is ias been a favorite station for blind .iger dealers to hold their shipments )f liquor, afterwards transporting lt >y wagons to Columbia. (Jhlef Os? jornc immediately detailed Con itables Pegues, Harley and Boland 0 go to Blaney's by buggy, and early 1 Friday morning he had a conversation ? with them over the 'phone. ? Chief Osborne says that he learned hat the man's name is Charles Th mpson aod that ho was originally 'rom Lexington county. He was a .viiite mau who was an employe of W. H. Sellers, the so-called "blind Igor king," ot Columbia. A car c Pl aining the shipment of liquor had 1 icen side tracked, according to Mr. Xmorne's information, and Thomp ian had loaded a two-horse wag n with the booze. Toe wagon contained ive barrels of half pints of a brand illeged to be dealt in by Sellers and (DOWD by his customers as ''King's 3hoice." lu all tin re were about 2tui 1 j ttles in the barrels and besides hem there were hlx kegs of liquor. Phonopsun in bis journey Columbia ' vaid had occasion to cross tue bea- ' joan; track. The hour, so far as can be learned, 1 bout ll o eli ck Friday night, ano 1 ne Seaboard vestibuled tnln, which vas hite, was thundering its way : lorthward. According to Mr. ().- 1 mine's Information received Friday norning, Thompson, who is s id to iave been drunk, either dr .ve over 1 m embankment on the railroad, or in f tn eavoring to cross it. his team some low got ''stuck." From persuu.s In 1 he neighborhood the constables earned that immediately after the vagon got on the track the train run ling at a rapid pace hove in sig it and tut a short dis:anco away, ll is salo a at Thom psi n, though drunk, mat!? 1 irani lc effort to wave ibe tram lowu, bu* his wagon getting on Hi - jack and tho approach of the Hy) g rain were events too close legt ci er for thc one to ge J off or the other to Pop. lt is n t known why Tm mp yin chd not. save him;..if by gettii.g ff,! he traek, but he olr.u't. The tra.n druck bim und the wagon, killing dim and two mul- s, and scattering the vehicle and boczs to the winds. Wonderful lo t?late, however, Utile ?f the wnlskey was destroyed. One barrel with its bottle contents was broken, but the rest was intact and was cunti->cated by the constables. S< natur Hun- Demi. A dispatcu from Washington says Senator Ba e o' Tennessee died at ti [?clock Thursday morning at the Ebbitt House, of pneumonia and de fective heart. He was seventy-eight years o.d. ll attended the inaugura Mon ceremonies and death ls believed to be duo lo exposure di that occa sion. He suffered a slight chill that day. lie occupied his seat in the Sen ate Tuesday week. Ile became sud denly lil that evening at the dinner table and steadily grew worse. His lungs Improved, but weakness of tho heart ci utluued. He was entirely con scious and asked to be burned at Nash ville. He served in the Confederate army, from private, to major general. A i .n.,. n .. Woman. Mr. E. S. McKinzie died afc Grove, Greenville county, on Monday night of last week aged GO. Since her hus band's death ten years ago she had run successfully a large farm and the largest dalry In the Piedmont section, her herd consisting of 110 cows. Blioottng Norapo. In a light between Robert Whit lock and two negroes near Spartan burg on Tuesday of last week tho ne groes fired several shots from a breach loading shotgun, missing Whitlock but hitting his aunt and her little girl. Whitlcck responded with a six shooter, but missed. What the Southern Cotton Asso ciation Proposes to Do. WHAT IT STANDS FOR, President Manie Jordan Makes a Suc cinct Statement of What the Move ment Hopes to Accomplish and How it Proposes to Accomplish lt. As many people throughout the | south are uot thoroughly familiar | " ith the purposes of the Sout?ern Cotton assoclatlon?'-^sldent Harvie Jordan has wrltten'i vi>rtlclo which fully sots forth the scopee^J work which has heen undertaken and ex plains in detail what ls to be acaom pllsbed. Mr. Jordan calls attention to thc fact that the movement ls by no means conlined exclusively to the farmers of thc south, but states that it is a movement for the whole south in which every line of business is In terested. Mr. Jordan's article ls asl follows: WU AT WE STAND FOB. There are thousands of people who | do not yet understand what the South ern Cotton associntlon stands for, who I created the association or what the' association is now undertaking to per form. People in all lines of business, farmers, merchants, hankers, editors of newspapers and others still have a vague aud Indistinct idea of the scope of this movement. Many people in all wullts of life appear to think that the Soutuern Cotton association ls distinc tively a farmers' movement to be op eratsd along tho line of the old Farm ers' Alliance, and in which the inter est of other lines of business is only in cidental to the immediate carrying out ! and perfection of the resolutions lnbro uuced and passed at the New Orleans | cotton conveutlon January 24 to 2?, 1905. The mind of every man who en tertains such opinions, which are ouly partial outlines of this great move ment, should better inform himself | and begin to fully understand that the | Southern Cotton association stands for no particular class, that it stanus for tue solid south and all classes In ! tho pontb that a-o Interested in std vanclng and promoting the future prosperity of this immediate section I ot our great union. Tne original Idea 1 and intention of the Farmers' Alli ance was good as far as it went, but { unfortunately it d.d not go far enough, was not suflleleutly broad and liberal I rn its bcope among its tenets taught antagonism and prejudice between the farmers and those with whom they tiad to deal. The result was disaster even belore that great movemeut be c^me dually stranded on tue barren rocks oi a political upheaval. The Southern Cotton association will avoid the daubers ano pitfalls which wreck ed and ruined tue efforts of the farm ers in tho past and whlcn failed to eu h.it the active ooopcration and sup port of the bushiest interests of tue 0 u .try. Tho interest of the farmer, mercnant, banker, and southern spin uer ure ah joiued together aud the success or fannie of one ls Interdepen dent UOJU the utuer. Wo, therefore, most ri e or fall together and nu tlugle cass can expect to succeed tba. undertakes to monopolize and jcopara ,/. : tuc inteiests of tuo o.ners. We itaiid for tL? supremacy of the sou iii igiiculiurally, toinineroiady ano unauciahy. To succeed we must ail 1 in hands together tu work in a com mon cause for the attainment of a j ju.ii.i.t ii end. Tue caruiual principle of the asso ciation ts to biifeguaid and pioteotj the - ailie of the ^reat money crop ot ihe south-cotton. Upon the price of taw c .tum paid to the larmer ueuends uot only tue prosperity of the grow ers, but the prisp nty of every l?gi tim?e business and profession lu tue .-.oubh. Hy the price of cotton ls legu i ite l real estate values, increased or ?ec eased school facilities, the Im provements or retardment of tue pub lie highways, inert aseu ot d ininishiuK luanufuuiuring industries and nankin^ cap til. lt.tl. eu tue pticc of cotton u yel a? s tue puise of tue mouth's lu o us trial advancement when lt sells at: a prolib lo the pro?ueer, and locks the wiiecta of trude anti creates tiuauciai dep essiou when sold at prices below the cost of production. To bring tho] whole south together in an earuest j ui-U active effort to assist tho growers tn regulating the supply of raw cotton to meet the legi ii mate demands of the world for corsumptlon and to main tain the price at a s.able tigure, prof itable alike tj both the prooucer and the spinner, ls the primary purpose of the Southern Cotton association. NO KNOWLEDGE OK CONSUMPTION. Tho southern people are only in formed as to the pioductlun of cotton. They know hut little or nothing about j the distribution of raw cotton among the spinales of the world and the con sumption of the fluished fabrics among tue civilized nations of the globe | whose peoples buy ai.d wear cotton goods. Tue southern people are not In formed as to the cost of manufactur ing raw cotton into cloth, although the spinner ls well Informed as to tue cost of both the production of raw cot ton ny tho grower and the cost of man ufacture. The south ls uot informed as to the price at which manufactur ed goods are sold or the actual amount of American cotton required for con-' sumption in 12 month by the spindles I ot' the world, while the manufactur ers are always posted as to tho prico of raw cotton and tho amount of the crop produced each year. Yet the south, controlling a complete and per manent mono??!/ of tho most valu able and useful agricultural product grown, has sat supinely down and seemed to be content in only making the effort to produce, taking no inter est in ttie matter of controlling the price of her cotton and not oven seek lng the necessary information whi<h would enable southern people to eveu approximately reach an lnteUJgepy idea of tbe true value of this gr?fjt? raw material to the natious of th9; world who are abs >\uU ly dependent upon lt for cloth li g. The efforts of tue Southern Cotter) association will be studiously directed along these lines and in the further endeavor to s< cure safe and accurate statistics of the cotton crop, from planting to final delivery to the con sumer each year, and distribute this information in tabulated form? throughout each Sti'e, county and' civil subdivision* of its mumbtrs, tdi that the entire people will have a f id) ; and thorough knowledge of everythirg pertaining to the production, discribu- ; tton, manufacture and sale of this j great and valuable agricul ural staple. The obj ot of the association will be to regulate the marketing of cotton in such manner as t J maintain the price at the stable figure of 10 cents per pound to the gro ver and the united coopi ration of the entire people of the south Ss to be enlisted in successfully putting thjjj-feature iutu practice and permanent operation. rCOMPETlTION SHUT OFF. At ten cents per pouud to the grow ers of American cotton chere ls no fear of other materials used in the pro duction of cloth entering the markets jf the world as a competitor. Ameri can cotton has but four competitors, these are wool, llax, silk ana foreign grown cotton, neither of willoh can be used in the manufacture of cloth and sold agaiubb our cotton so long as the price of our cotton docs not cost the manufacturer more thau 10 to 12 cents per pound. The only competitors which active ly euter into the depression of tbe price of American cotton below 10 cents per pound are the overproduc tion of American cotton and the bad system of marketiug cotton by the producers which has for so many years allowed the price to be lix d In foreign markets. Tuesc aro the real, true causes operating in the markets against us today, either of which can be easily overcome by intelligent ao tion and united effort. The Southern Cotton association stands for the immediate prop jr solu tion of these simple problems and will bend its efforts to secure the emanci pation of the southern farmer and Its people from the yoke of foreign domi nation. UUOADEN OUIl MAn&KTS. The Southern Cotton association undertake to solve the fear of over production in future years by broad ening the markets for our cotton and cotton goods. To induce the rapid building of cotton mills in the south, to develop southern ports and prepare for the Immense trade that will sprint into existence between tnis ~cuuuvi,>, ana the Asiatic nations of the far east through the opening of the Panama canal; to bring about better and more direct trade relations between thl3 section and the Cen eral and South American republics; to teach diversi fication in agriculture; tu better per fect the educational s>stems of tbe south; to brlug about a better under standing a i closer relationship among the growers and the southern business men with whom they have to deal; In order that by mutual co operation a tid.il wave of prosperity may sweep over this souihiuuu lrotn elie farm to tho bank, to tue mill, and to every line of business ano profession in this country. Tue8e are some of the principles of reforms inaugurated at ti e great New Orleans cotton convention a.iri whiou are to bo put into practicul operation and experience, througu tnoSout..o.n Colton association, tho greatest move ment i ver conci ive'Q hy tue biaiu til mau. To say that this wont will f..ll is a reflection upon the Intelligence and manhu .d of Liu south. To sa> t i.it lt will sueceeu buo emphasizes the fact that every mau wno give.-? ut terance to such a .-.t..i ea.cot rtaliz s idiat he is a factor in tins great move meut and ha? faith in the aoiilty uf the soutu to execute as well as to re? olute and lie wno doubts, or eleni s tuat success Cannot be attained, bus no failli lu himself ai d none in bib country. UAKVIK JOUDAN, Piesident Southern Cotton Associa tion. ClauKht (J |i Wit li. Rev. Bauiamin W. A hie), a minis ter of tho Christian chinch, r< siding near Newport, T. uu., wis given a sentence of fifteen months lu the peni tentiary In the feue-rni c. urt WedneS nay, for violating the pension law?. In investigating his uat>e, a pension examiner uncovered that he wai u olgaiulat. After Ashley had been ptaced on the pulsi?n lolls, a Nortti Caioiina woman claiming to be his wife, made application foi a division of the pension. Ashley swore elie was not his legal w.fd, but tuat his wife was a Tenne^ee woman. In vestigation proved that Ashley mar ried his first wife in 1805 and had never obtained a divorce, but bad abandoned her thirty years ago, mar rylng a si conti time after coming to Tenuehseo tto reside. He pleaded guilty of perjury and may be prose cuted for bigamy whien he has served his federal sentence. Feai-rul Dr..in Hmo. A dispatch from C.ilcutta says the deaths from the plague last week numbered 34,000. Statistics show that the deatns from bubonic plague in India within a few years reached nearly 3,000,000 In 1003 tho mor tality In India from the plague alone was 850. The number of deaths re corded last whek while extraordinary ls not unprecedented. The infection recently spread to burmah where it is making rapid Strubs. This sea son of the year always favors its spread. A Bruto flutiK. Charles Hammens, a white man, was hanged at Morrllton, Arkansas, on Wednes lay for a criminal assault upon his ll year-old step-daughter last Ojtober at FlumervMe. Ham mons enlisted In the army during the Spanish-American war and later went to tlie Philippines. U pou his roturn ho married Mrs. Alice Thomas and shortly afterwards tho assault on the child was committed. The supreme court refused to reverse tho vcruict of a lower court and Governor Davis positively refused to Interfere with the execution of the sentence. ,The Russians, After Fighting Hard Several Days, Retreat IN VERY GOOD ORDER, Saving Their Quns, Stores and Amuni tion. Thc Losses on Both Sides : . Were Very Heavy, but the Japs Seemed to Have suffered Most. The battle whloh has been raging in the vicinity of Mukden between "the Russians and Japaneso for the last two weeks came to a close last Friday by the retreat of the Russians. A dispatch from St. Petersburg says the dispatch announcing the with d ra wal of the Russians from their positions on the Shakhe river and that they were in full retreat, was the tirst definite news received here to the effect that the battle w.s ended and that General Kuropatkln was making the best of his way north ward. It does not como unexpectedly The defeat of General Kuropatkiu has been expected since Field Marshal Oyama made his brilliant stroke against the Russian right. CONFLICTING REPORTS. The Associated Press says advices from the Manchurian battlefield leave little doubt that General Kuropatkln has suffered another reverse,, but whether his defeat is a rout or whether he has repeated his strategy of Liao Yang and succeeded iu with drawing his army and the bulk of his : supplies is not clear. Dispatches from Genera,! Kuroki's : headquarters say that tho Russians : evacuated the whole line aloug tho Shakhe river and are in full retreat northward with the Japanese in close pursuit. Admitting the coriectnrss of thlsj dispatch, the fall of Mukden seems imminent, and its probability is in a measure confirmed by the report that the Japanese have taken Man chlatun, a villiage some ten miles southeast of Mukden. St. Petersburg insists that no disas ter bas occured, but admits that Kur ti pat kl n's left is in a critical petition, Ku?okl having driven a wedge lu be tv ?n Linovltoh's main army an R:u . -jj--- -.w- tupul v -tinfit; Kuropatkin's communications have ' b?en cut is denied at the western cap ital, where it is stated that a report from the commander was roceiv 1 ed Thursday Contents are nut known, however, beyond the statement that Mukden is still in possession of the Russians. The dispatch from Mukden makes 'he. significant statement tuat the ' Japantsj are ixtenriiug their grea. turning movement still further north ' in the direction of toe immensely im portants trategic point of the Tie P.i-s. ' lhspatches received give cl. ta 1 . 1 of the blow wh eh turned the Russian right and savs t rat the Ru >siau lo.>:.e in this flghJofg wr:ro v :ry h-avy. ' WHAT TUE JAPS CLAIM. The Japs claim that the ttrit iou . lays' lighting on the flank has ended as s .ceessfuhy a-? t!<e J ^ptntse e.iulci wi-m. It has remited lu the c m pl- te , tur lng of tbe Russian right udp om .-os the certjhi dei? at of tue en ir.. Russl m army, lt is har I to sie hu he Russians eau pw.s.bly heptj ?or . o?inr results Toe left Japai os. aim , les have swung nortu io a poiu, on t e main ulguway, tive mile.-, north ol t ie Mukdeu line, the two left at nr.e whiehareex outing thi t urning mov - ment are IK>W naraihd io and lour ur I les westward of the miro cl l\.e two aim es swung arou. d with C an fan ns a pivot until they ri : c ed position at right angles with the on ?mal line and are now advancing di rectly cast RUSSIANS IN REVOLT. The Russians ma.de a str .ng light , at the start, hut later their re istauoi was slight, their men retreating in disorder beforo the onward rush ol th Japanese who have advanced over 20 miles in four day s constantly In tune . with the Russians. The Russ.ans had many stion^ defenses In several lii.es but did nut defend them as stzongly as expeoted. The soldiers evcrywbi re were dish) artened oy tue la l of Pori Arthur, and it is believed they ar. almost in open revolt. A number ol 1 strong positions were given up wi li out a show of resistance and thc bat, idetields suow evidence of hasty re treat, being covered with clothing, heavy felt bouts and thousands of whips thrown away probaoly b> cause they Impeded thc Russian has. y Hight. Many rifles and thousands of cups of nile cartridges were also thrown away, tho Rus-ilans retiring cast and north In confusing, lt was evident thal all their plans for rotreat were discon certed by the rapid rushes of thc Jap auese. COSSACKS DI80UOANI/.ICI). The entire Russian right seems al together disorganized. The reports show the Russian troops are almo.a In a panic striken condition, one army corps opposed to the Jap&nles extreme left armies retiring rapidly and prac tlcally making no attempt to stop the Japanese movement. The Japanese victory was even greater, morally than physically. It ls estimated that the Russian losses were over ten thousand. Tho prisoners'statements I give evidence of even greater loss. The. Japanese loss witli the left armies dur ing the four days do- s not exceed four thousand. The Russian centers near tho railroad when last hoard from re tained its former position, but lt may Blnce then have retired. The entire command, it is believed, will be sur rounded and cut off. RUSSIANS ADMIT DEFEAT. A dispatch from St. Petersburg say s the atmosphere of the war office i* Intensely gloomy. Thc otho!. s ad mit that Gen. Kuropatkln has sulfured a bloody deteat, but they Insist thal it li not a decisive disaster. T mir explanation of tho dlsiatohcs of Gen. Kuropatkin and Gen. Sakharoff, re porting fighting on the"north front," ls that they refer to Japanese at t'-mpta to break through the Russian line t-creening the communications with Tie pass, but tbe public regards it as an acknowledgment that Gen. No 1 has already severed tbe Russlar im-'of communications and enclosed at least a portion of Gen. Bilderling's r r y which wan bringing up the n ar. T :e dispatches of the Associated Pi ess show beyond doubt that Gen. Nugi has actually succeeded In reach ing the rallroid, although it was SDCU'dually *. Illrmed that the linc was repaired and reopened. It is possible that this temporary Interruption may have caused the Tokio report. The most important known develop ment of thu oay is the report that a ll- lng J ap??ese column has appeared u nheast of Mukden and ls heading rapidly west. This probably ls part of Gen. Kuroki's army wnlch is making a detour by forced march-sand swing ing around to effect a juucture with (Jen. Nogl. If the manoeuvre suo ceeds tue net will be closed. It "ls sild there that Gen. Kuropatkin with he adquarters stall is now at Faokla lung station on the railroad, 10 miles below Tie pass. Thc general staff ad mils that the carnage In the battle *ill probably exceed anything In mod ern warfare, although the staff ?Ul cers Insb.t that the Japanese must nave sustained the heaviest lestes. Tho Russians believe they surely will reach 50,000. SAVKD HIS ARMY. Official information Saturday from the Russian headquarters in the Held, supplemented by dispatches Irom the Associated Press correspondents with the army ot the Russians emperor, show that Gen. Kuropatkiu, after suf fering by far the most severe defeat of the war, has succeeded as he die ??fter the battle of Liao Yang in ex tricatlng the remnants of his armj from a position which military expert! 21 hours before believed would result lr Its annihilation or surrender. Toe re treat from Llao Yang has been con ?iilared the most masterly ever exeou lcd, hut lt ls far overshadowed by thii latest feat of the Russian general wb< has taken personal command of tht troops. After lighting for nearly thre^ weeks, losing in killed, wounded ant mls.ilng probably a third of his armj ir nearly 100,000 men and a fourth o his artillery. Kuropatkin gatherec what was left together north of Muk den and is taking them toward Xii pass through a rain of sharpnel whiol is heb g thrown on them from botl tight and loft. This he seems to hav< been able to accomplish by resorti ni to the same tactics which saved hi army at Lian Yang. RUSSIAN IlKTItEAT CONTINUES. G u. Kur< pat kin has t?l?graphe to. Emperor Nicholas as follows, unde date of Marou, ll, 10.40 p. m.: "Today the enemy's attack wa confined to the rear of the Slberiai sorps. "The First army, echelonged ii front of the other armies continues t retreat towards positions Indicate for all the other armies. '"According to a rf port from th commander of the Tnlrd army, rt j> i ved t jday, his rear guard occuple x position on thc Mandaila road 1G ?-iles fr m Tie pass. Only a una rletauhment of the Japanese, malnl javtliry, confronted this rearguard. "From February 28 to March ll lr clu ive, 1,190 (ffi -.ers and 46,391 men ?re ml-Blng from 'Oil call." TROPHIES OK THE JAPANESE. F. ld Marshal Oyama rcportin S und ny say.-: "Prisoners, spoils and the enemy * m t d casualties aitaiust all ot fis in the Shakhe dlreet'on follov c, hut the prisoners, guns ?inn spol ir it i r? 'sit g momentarily: The prl ' nu ber over 40,U00, lncludln li n. N chmo-s. The killed ar .voun ?-d ae estimated at 90,0oC P. e enera 's d'-ad li ft ou thc tie lti?l cr 20 500. The spoils inclue A ll igs, about 00 guns, 00,000 rille '.vi un nuniUon wagons, 1,000 cart : -JO,OOO 3 iciis, 25 000.000 rounds i a 1 arms ammu tltions, 75,0( rm hels ol -.terrais, 275 000 bundels i f dl r, 45 miles of ligtit railway ou ti-, 2 000 i orse-:, 23 car; loads of map 1.000 cart louds of clothing and a Boutrea onts, 1 000,000 rations .>r- a 1 75,000 tons of fuel and 60 to o' hay, and hestr.es tools, tents, bi 1 cks, telegraph wire and poles, th b r, beds, stoves and numerous otb prop rty. ' No report from the Sinking dirt tion has been received." Tue battle has been officially nam the battle of Mukden. No J Itt-J Usu For Weat Point. C ingress expressed Its lack Ultu ?ti jiu-jitsu by striking out conference on the military acadei ipp ooriation bill a provision for anuu*l .salary for an Instructor :eacu t h it Japanese art to the eade Tho original Item appropriated 6 500 for instructors In "fenolng, broi sword and jiu-jitsu." The provis was cut down tei $3,000, providing m y two instructors. The manner winch some of tue West Polnti fe ball Minad threw a jiu jitsu lnstruc recently wj-.s discussed by thecomti tee anti seemed to have considera effect. Ono of the conferees told story of the Instructor easily thr i og some of tho cadets by his si but added that the result of bis counter with a member of the footl .-quad had put him in the hosp with a broken shoulder. The c feres promptly out out the approp tiou. Don't Lil ko lt. The president Wednesday sent tho senate tho nomination ot Oha W. Anderson, the colored Demosl ms, tu b;: collector of Internal rove for the second district of New Yt Thc republic in politiolaus of t state do not at all Uko the appo ment of a negro to this fat Job, they will nave to stand lt. 1 president old not consult Sena Platt and Dcpew until after he net ermined upon the appolmm and then it was to tell tliem he po.ed to take this appointment personal to himself. lillie?! OT Train. Baltimore ana Ohio train No Wuiob lei.< Cumberland, Md., Tuei night, struck four Wabash empli three-quarters of a mlle, east of E ce I., Instantly killing three slightly iujuiingthe other. FLOATING PALACE. The Biggest Ship Ever Built Arrives at New Yoik. Tho Monster Vessel Alarles an Ad? vance in Science of Marino Architecture. The Ounarder Caronia arrived at New York from Liverpool Wednesday on her maiden voyage after a passage of seven days and nine hours fro ra the latter port, made at an average speed of 16.33 knots. The Caronia brought 155 saloon, 258 second cabin and 1,286 sterago passengers, making, with her crew of 440, a total of 2,138 persons on board. Cne death occurred ou the passage, on March 3. Tho steamer was not urgeu on her passage, owing to tne engines being new. She made 19 knots on her trial trip. The Caronia is the newest and larg est of the Cunard fleet operated be tween New York and Liverpool. Con structed in accordance with the > quirements of the British admiralty, the Caronia ls prepared for service, in both times of peace and war, and can be converted into an auxiliary cruiser with all armament required for a vessel of that class. Provisions have been made for speedy installa tion of twelve rapid-fire guns of large caliber, and in her hold ample provi sion *s made for the storage, care and handling of all necessary ammuni tion. As a passenger liner there are ac commodations in the Caronia's first cabin for 300 passengers, provision is made for 350 more In the secjnd cab in, and the steerage has room for 2, 000. With a crew of 450 men, there foJ?, the steamer can carry 3,100 per sons under normal conditions. She has accommodations for an Immense quantity of freight and fuel beneath her deck. Nearly 14,000 tons of dead weight cargo alone eau be stured away In her hold. An important feature of the Caronia's construction is the system of water-tigot doors in the ship's bulkheads, which can be closed simultaneously from the bridge, op erating a simple mechanism. The doors will close automatically also if water enters the compartments. It ls claimed that this arrangement ren ders the steamer unsinkable under any clrcumstauces. The Caronia was launched at Clyde bank, July 13, 1904. She is 675 feet long, with a gros; tonnage of 21,000, and a displacement of 30,000 toas. The engines are of the quadruple ex pansion type, capable of developing 20,000 horse-power. She is expected to maintain an average speed of 19 knots pst hour. Tue Caronia is the first of a quartet of great ships to be put into service in the near future by this line, each of wuioh indicates a notable step in advance of any steam ships oow in sor vi JO, in construction, equipment, and furnishings. The pub.ic has beo ima so accustom ed to great and startling things that the mere slue.neat tnat the Caronia is 075 *eet loug does not carry with it the full Impression of its greatness, except by comparison. This enorm ous length becomes apparent, how ever, when one realizes that if she wr?re set down on the east side of the Capitol at Washiugtun she would ab solutely hide it from v ew, except thirty eicht feet ab either end, and not even the roof line, except the d ime, would be visible over her upper decks. Some conception of the size of the Caronia's two smokestacks may be had from the statement that they reach to a height of 150 feet above the keel. FOREIGN TRADE GROWS. OcoMnn In Farm Products Exported Ofl'set By Increase in Cotton. The department of agriculture has issued a report on foreign trade in farm and forest products in 1904, complied by the division of foreign markets. It shows that the balance of trad? In farm products in each year from 1890 to 1904 was in favor of ex ports. There was a distinct gain In 1898, when the export balance in creased to $555,000,000, a gain of $257,000,000 over the preceding years, beginning with 1898, the annual ex port balance for farm products ex ceeded $410,000,000. Domestic experts of farm agricul tural products for the year 1904 were $19,000,000 less than In the preceding year 1904 and $6,000,000 less than the annual average for 1899 to 1903. The total value for 1904 was 8859,160,264. The expurbs of forest products In 1904 aggregated $69.600,430, and were an Increase of $11,000,000 more than 1903 and $36,000,000 more than the annual average tor 1894 bo 1898. For bhc period of 1800 bo 1004 the total value of domestic exports of farm products aggregated 811.000,000,000. Total imports of farm products in 1J04 were $462,434,851, an Increase of 85,000,000 more tuan 1903 and of 351, 000,000 more than the annual aver age for 1899 tc 1903, and of forest products ?79,619,296. The value of imports of forest products exceeded tile previous year by $8,000,000 aud the annual average for 1899 to 1903 by $19,000,000. The value of the cot tm exports increased $55,000,000 from 1903 to 1904, although the quan tity exported in 1904 was 479,000,000 pounds less than in 1903. No Decoration fr'or tl '.v. In the senate Thursday Mr. Cullom reported a bill from the commltt e on foreign relations authorizing Score tary Hay of tne state department to accept tho decoration of tho grand cross of the national order of the Lo gion of Honor tendered his resignation through tho state department by the government of the French republic. Mr. Spooner objected, and no response was made lo the question. This ended the matter. _ luumrotni .M. eklufc. Columbia is preparing to entertain in a suitable manner the members of the ooo terence for education whlon meets In that olby in A prll. The con ferenoj will bo composed of leading educators of the whole oountry. ONE WILL HANG And One Will Go to the Peniten tiary for Life. THI i VERDICT. A Darlington Jury of White Men Con? vlcts Two Lawless White Men for Murdering an Inoffensive Ne gro on the Public High way February 61b. A dispatch from Darlington to The State says a verdict unprecedented in South Carolina was rendered there Friday when one wUite man was con victed of murder and another of mur der with recommendation to mercy, both for killing a negro. Tbe sentence under the law for murder is deatb and for murder with recommendation to mercy is life im prisonment. Tbe judge has no discre tion in eitber case, and only a rever sal of tbe court's ruling by the su preme court or tbe mercy of the gov ernor can alter tbe sentences. The' ~ court records of South Carolina can doubtless be searched in vain for a case wherein a wblte man has been hanged for the murder of a negro. Tbe two men are Bob Small, con victed of murder and Bob Noll, con victed witb recommendation to mer cy. They killed Frank Scott, negro, on the tue public highway four miles from Darlnlgton on February 6th not six wceka ago. Small and Noll were from North Carolina and worked at Harper's saw mill, nine miles from Darlington. They came to town on Monday, Feb. 6tb, eacu bringing a shot gun. After btaying in town several hours, and, lt is said, drinking heavily, tney began tbelr homeward marcb. All along tbe road they are said to have been , boisterous and abusive to passersby, shooting at travelers' horses and mules. Finally tney met this negro on a load of oottoa seel for his em ployer, W. P. DuBuose, with waom tie had been working 12 years, which is a testimonial tj bis good cn a rac-.er. Bob Small balled the negro and af ter a few words sbob him. His com panion, Noll, drew his irun to snoot bim again, when l.t. F. Howie, ctiuncvjgfflj treasurer, .'tra\oi?rit?" cms road, came up in bis buggy. Knowing tbe ne gro, he protested agatust tbe act and Noll turned bis gun on Howie and tired, hitting bim in tbe fads with one sbot and tbe horse reoeiving th3 bal ance of the load in his heari and neck. Tbey continued their onward march co their snautles at tbo saw mill. Mr. Howie cared for the negro and drove ?aek LO town for tbe sheri ti', who, with bis dopucles, pursued the men and with several neiguo ?rs captured Diem at 1 u'clucic Monday night) in their shinties at? the mill, tied them and bruugnt them to jail. Tue negro was a peaceable, reliable workman. Ic was developed Chat these characters had become a dread io the people lu tuecommnnity of the saw mill and had been coming to Dar lington for several sue jessi ve bale days co arink and carouse on their return home. The trial ot this casii took up the whom of the session Friday. Toe de fendants were represented by Senator George W. Brown as attorney.. The jury remained out one hour and 30 lulim Les and rendered a verdlot of guilty as to Small and guilty with lecuinmendaiion to mercy as to Noll. The ca-ie of tue State vs. D jck Moore and Winiam Simm* <o*-t??? ktlrmg ot Jim Young, a\\ colored, in 1903, was disposed of Tuesday night. Simms was acquitted. Moore was fouud gulley of manslaughter with recommendtlon to mercy. John Noll was sentenced to impris onment for life in the State penlteu tiary, and the date of execution of Bob Small was Axed by tbe court for the 5th of May. lilown Up. An explosion of illuminating gas in the cellar of the Mormon meeting house at Granger, fourteen miles south west of Salt Lake City, caused the death of one young woman and seri ously injured twency-slx other per sons, mostly young women and child ren. The meeting house was wreok ed. While the Granger Mutual Im provement Association was tn session tue lights went out. A boy went into che cellar wich a lamp co see what was wrong and the explosion followed. Miss Nellie Macky, tue eauroh organ lst,,who was standing direct1 y over the gas tank, received tho full force of the explosion and was instantly killed. A paulo ensued among the audienoe In their efforts to OaOape from tue wreck ed building, many who had not been injured by the force of the explosion were trampled upon. WautH l'tii-m tu SOAtier. Rev. Dr. Dean Richmond Babbitt of Brooklyn, president of the commis sion on the race problem, In an ad dress at Washington Thursday night advocated tue voiuutary exodus from che South of negroes. Ile urged that through industrial comuinatlons, co operative societies and State imml graut boards oreated tor cue purpose ency should seek .settlements in tn ; Northern, Middle and special West ern States, s i that tue pro jlem of the negro race s.iould noe bj auy longer a Southern one. If tue negro wore dls trlnuted among the Northern and WesteVu States, bis political rights, he said, not ouly would be protected nut tnrough a balance nf pjwar be uween tho parties he would obtain political aud industrial recognition and tuero would be a lessening of race prejudice, now lmposdble for him In the congi sted Sou ta vu ? ?i.? ?% omnu. "Aunt" Charity, a colored woman reputed to be i io years old, died In lin io.? cou.it.y on Sunday of last week. Sb-; hal belonged to the Worthy family for generations, aud her ago ls pretty weil authenticated.