PANAMA CANAL IS
CAUSE OF SCANDAL
/
Paris, Oct. 15—For the second time
in ita history the Panama canal is the
cause of scandal in the government
*of France. The French nation has
not yet forgotten the crash that was
the outcome of M.deLesseps' attempts
to carry through the big undertaking,
and now conies the discovery that all
records of the transaction by which
the United States paid to France $40,
000,000 for the latter country's inter
est have vanished.
Fear of disclosures that will affect
the integrity of a brother-in-law of
President Roosevelt, Chai'les Taft.
brother of the candidate for president,
and others high in the political life
of the United States is believed to be
the cause for the mysterious disap
pearance of the documents, which
have been believod to be in the llles
of the French government since the
deal closed in 1904. It is said that
the president's brother-in-law and
the brother of Mr. Taft each made a
fortune as the result of the canal
deal. The identity of the other per
sons deriving direct financial benefit
from the transaction is hidden.
It is believed that the investigation
that will result from the discovery
will entangle many persons of hither
to unsullied reputation, both in Franco
and in the United States.
WOMEN AND POLICE
FIGHT FOR HOURS
London, Oct. 15—Never before in
the history of the parliament build
ing have the turrets and battlements
of that historic structure looked down
upon such a scene as was visible this
morning when for three hours nearly
5,000 suffragettes buttled againsta few
hundred policeman in a vain endeav
or to gain access to where the mem
bers of England's law making body
were assembled. Hundreds of the
women were carted off to jail, with
out apparently thinni ng the ranks of
the mob. Many of them wore serious
ly injured as the result of the treat
ment received at the hands of the po
lice, or as the result of force on the
part of their compatriots in the strug
gle for recognition.
The demonstration of today was
the greatest in point of numbers as
sembled, and in the length of time
taken up before the mob was dis
persed that has yet marked an out
turning of suffragettos. Many of the
policemen show signs of the affray
and the streets in the vicinity of the
parliament building building are lit
tered with torn garments and ruined
millinery.
UNION LEADER IN
POLITICAL SCRAP
Detroit, Oct. 16—President Keofo,
'of the longshoremen's union iH in
volved in the agitation that in cann
ing sleepless nlghtH for tlio leaders of
the domocracy and for the republi
cans. Keofo is today busy denying
the statement given out by tho dem
ocrats to the ofToot that ho has by
the republican leaders been offered
the position of commissioner gonoral
in tho immigration department in
return for his support of Taft.
The statement that tho republicans
have formed a compaot with Keofo
has cansod much comment. From
demooratio hoadquarters has come
tho assertion that President ttooso
volt himself made tho frame-up with
tho labor loador, but to all of the as
^serMons Keofo has entered a vigorous
denial.
TIMBER BROKER IS NOT
AND NEVER WAS "LOST"
Hoattle, Oct. 16—B. H. Melkeljohn.
the tlmbor broker who, it was feared
was lost in tho forest near Arlington,
is alive and well, and has not been
lost. When he started out Melkel
john intended to be gone tor several
days but his acquaintances believed
It was his Intention to be away only
a few hours, and when he did not
show up a search party was organized.
The soarchers came upon Moikol
John last evening just aH the latter
was preparing his supper, he having
made camp for the night. He refused
to accompany the party back to town,
saying that no has some timber to
ortilso.
WOMAN USES DRUG
TO EHDJER LIFE
Despondent because of long con
tinued suffering from the grip a wom
an, known in Valdez as Oleo Clifton,
but whoso real name was Bora Beat
rice Cook, and who was a former wife
of Swi'twater Bill Gates, took her
own life at an esrly hour Sunday
morning. The woman's plight was
discovered by Jack Deverney who
summoned I)r. Hopkins, but medical
aid came too late, the large quantity
of chloroform swallowed proving fa
tal despite all efforts to counteract the
effects, and death came before the
woman could be taken from her home
to a hospital.
A coroner's jury impaneled yester
day forenoon brought in a verdict of
suicide. The jury was composed of
Sam Blum, C. G. Wulff, J. A. Bourke,
Fred Cameron, Charles Craemer and
Charles Osland.
The woman left a note in which she
asked that her body be sent to Seat
tle, and not buried in Alaska. Harry
Cook, the man who was her husband
at the time of her death, is a driver
for the Cascade Laundry in Seattle
and he lias been notified, tbo body
being held to await his instructions.
Besides a husband, the woman left
it mother, Mrs. Iola Beebe, and two
children by her first husband, Swift
water Bill Gates,. One of these
children is with Mrs. Boebe in Seattle
and the other is believed to be some
where in Canada, it having been kid
napped several years ago, by a wom
an employed by the then Mrs. Gates
as a nurse. A sister, Mrs. Gjertson,
committed suicide in Katalla last
rail.
It fallw to few women to pass through
the experiences that befell the woman
who now lies dead by her own de
vice. Shortly after Swiftwater Bill
LJates had had bin last unsatisfactory
experience with the Lamore sisters,
:>f Dawson fame, he came to Seattle
uid was introduced to Mrs. Tola
Beebe and her two daughters. After
i few days acquaintance, Gates and
i friend attempted to elope with tin*
ajirls but Mrs. Beebe prevented the
plan by having the quartette arrested
ivhile they were aboard a steamship
just to depart from Seattle for Alas
ka. Later, however, Gates succeeded
in getting away with the girl, going
to Dawson where t hey were found by
Mrs. Beebe, and where the first child
was born.
After the birth of his child Gates
and his wife fled to Nome, leaving
the little one in the care of its grand
mother. In Nome Gates deserted his
wife, who was finally joined by her
mother." The women eventually
reached Seattle where there was a
reconciliation between Gates and his
wife, who wontto Washington, I). ('.,
svhere Mrs. Gates was again deserted,
und whero her second child was born.
For the next year or so the history
r>f the couple is one of reconciliations
iind ruptures, onlivened by attempts,
through use of the law, to make
Clates provide for his family. Several
times Gates was arrested but ho al
ways managed to get free, occasion
ally by methods that brought discred
it alike to officers and lawyers. The
troubles of the couple culminated
about threo years ago in divorce pro
ceedings brought in Seattle and re
sulting in a divorco being granted
Mrs. Gates, who a year or so later
was married to Cook.
BURGLAR SAID 10
BE GALE'S SON
Ohicago, Oct. 14—Harry Oahlll,
whoso roal nnmo in believed to be
James Oalo, Hon of tho formor dele
gate from Alaska to Congress, ThomaH
Oale, Is In jail hero acctisod of bank
robbery. Cahili, or Oale, was arrest,
od at tho roqnest, of tbo authorities of
.fanesvillo, Wisconsin, who aro now
on tho way to tako charge of hltn.
The Janesvlllo authorities nay that
(Jalo and two com pan Ioiir robbed tho
bank of Ladysmlth, a small town
near Janesvlllo, of $3,000. Tho pris
oner declines to dllOUss his crime or
his Identify.
A notice of application for 20,000
inches of water from tho Htowar
river at Fraser falls for KonoratinK
electrlblty for dredges and cunveyor®
has been filed at tho gold ofileo In
Dawson by the Yukon llasln (Jold
Dredging (Jo.
VALDEZ SOON TO COME 10
IIS OWN Km
Confirmation of previously pub
lished statements nnent the future
for Valdez, and condemnation of cer
tain interests that have caused delay
in this connection are made hy A. J.
Stewart, treasurer of the Valde'z
Yukon Railroad Company, in asigncd
letter to the Prospector. Writing
from New York under date' of Sep
tember '2(5 Mr. Stewart says:
"Like Homo other 'corporations, vve
have for years refrained from pub
licity, believing rather, that it was
best to work] quietly„'nnd be judged
rather by our deeds than by our
words. But the time has'como when
it seems iu justice necessary to make
an explanation.
"For years the Valdez-Yukon Hail
road Company in Alaska has been
known as the "Swanitz Road;" the
Alaska Consolidated Copper Company
has been known as the "McCarthy
Property." To these ^gentlemen, all
honor to which they arc entitled, but
the final completion of benefits to
Valdez and Alaska which cannot be
measured, is due to the Valdez-Yu
kon Railroad Company and the Alas
ka Consolidated Copper Company,
whose shareholders are among the
very best of citizens iu the eastern
states, who are absolutely honest and
who have themselves refrained from
speaking. ,
"There is no question but what in
your city these corporations have
been vory[much misrepresented when
they should have been represented.
That fault may lay with the corpora
tion, but if a,fault indeed, it was one
of judgement rather than one of in
tention. These corporations have
done their very best, opposed by
many interests not always for the
best interests of Alaska, and but for
the co-operation of t hese shareholders
and the co-operation of members of
congress, where you find the squares!,
truest men in our nation, and among
these, Senator Penrose, Knox, Bever
idgo, Nelson, Burnham, Patterson,
Dillingham, and Representative Ham
ilton, Lonahau, Lloyd, Cole, llig^ins,
Capron, McKinney, Reynolds, Dra
per, ('handler, Huston, Kimball,
Davenport, Southwiek and Powers,
as well as Representative Calo and
Andrews, who have stood up for
Alaska through thick and thin for a
square deal, and no Octopus has
been able to puncture their sworn
honor—to these men Alaska and we
owe our thanks, and the territory of
Alaska its everlasting gratitude and
respect.
"The contract entered into by
Leopold Ilirsch & Company, who
need no introduction bore and who
have made South Africa through the
Hon. Cecil Rhodes and Alfred Beit,
Ksq., and who will be to Alaska what
they have been to South Africa
through their co-operation in this en
terprise, was brought about by the
Valdez-Yukon Railroad Company
ami Alaska. Consolidated Copper
Company through their agent, Mr- A.
J. Stewart, of (50 Wall street, who
went personallyjto London and laid
before these great men (negotiations
covering a period of two months) the
immense possibilities of Alaska in
transportation, copper, coal and
other minerals as well as smelters,
and through the co-operation of F.
W. Baker, Esq., a wise Counselor and
President ol the Venture Corpora
tion, and through Mr. Chester Wells
Purdington, a former II. S. Geologist
who had report* "* to the U. S. Gov
ernment on the Matanuska coalfields,
—this contract was completed with
HijHch «V, Co., as stated. And but
for the interference of representa
tives of the Octopus, Valdez would
have*barges of rails, locomotives and
railroad equipment landed at Valdez
this fall and winter for immense un
dertakings in the spring.
"The Hubbard-Elliott Copper Corn
pan) delayed signing owing to nego
tiations which were not intended for
the best, interests of Valdez or, wo
believe, of Alaska; and the magnifl
cent work to bring about the signing
of this contract was done by O. P.
Hui*b;ird and Hon. C. H. Aldrich and
W. F. James, Esq., of Chicago, and
the JCubbard-Elliott Coppo- Company
\ver«» induced, on August.uth, to sitcn
the contract which they agreed to
sign July 6t.h.
With the approval of Hirsch & Co.
representatives and experts, Valdez,
may lay claim to a future city not to
be surpassed on the Pacific coast.
Ships carrying merchandise to and
fro will be numerous, and during next
year the greatest excitement in Alas
ka possibly since the discovery of
gold in the Yukon district, may well
bo contemplated, md Valdez, as in a
stateim-ul; by Alfred H, Brooks, Esq.,
will "come into its own." as its
strategic location well entitles it to
Very respectfully,
"Valdoz-Yukon Railroad Company,
"By A. J. Stewart,
"Treasurer."
Boston, Oct. 10—Caustic arraign
ment of tho Guggenhelnis, or rather
of tho money powers that masquer
ading under the nnmo of (higgenheims
are becoming ho potent In Alaska, is
made by Henry '>• Reynolds, promo
tor of Alaska enterprises, and now
under federal Indictment in this city
awaiting trial on tho charge of fraud
ulent use of tho malls. The statement
just, made by Mr. Reynolds is tho first
to come from him for publication
since his present trouble.
Reynolds says that although the
affairs of the Reynolds Alaska Devel
opment Company aro In tho hands of
a reooivor In Vaid07. they are In good
shape and that only for the opposition
of the Guggenheim interests he would
long ago have been Able to ralso tho
money noeossary to take up all his
obligations, and that the projeoted
railroad wwild have beon constructed
well into, the interior by this time.
He nays that until he started the rail
road he met with no trouble, but
that from that time on hifi every
move met with strong opposition,
and that thin persecution Iwih an its
climax the prosecution in which he 1h
now involved.
By Reynolds the Guggcnheims are
accused of having tried to rob him of
his right-of-way privileges and of
shooting Ave of his men In connec
tion with this attempt. He says that
the men who did the shooting escaped
punishment because of the Guggen
heim influence.
Reynolds expresses confidence that
ho will bo frood of the charges now
hanging over him, and says that ho
will, so soon as the court proceedings
are concluded, return to Valdea with
sufficient money at his disposal to
carry to completion his projects.
Olio of tho TMImoIh oongroHnmon lias
ft Rood story of ft pollt'lonl conven
tion in that Mate for tho purpose of
nominating n candidate for an im
portant office.
Tho district wan a clone on®, and
tlm necessity of sheeting a popular
man was thoroughly recognised. A
sponkcr had just nwninated a person*
ill friend for the petition, and in an
elaborate eulogy t had presented in
glowing terms hyt manifold merits,
especially omphiSizing his great nor
vloew on tho field of battle, aa well ah
hi Iho purHultfl of peace.
After he had flnlnhed a voice waw
hoard In the roar of the room. "What,
wo want. In the man that will run the
host."
In im instant the orator wax again
on hlH feot.
"If you think," ho yelled, "that,
thla convention can And anybody that
can run better than the gentleman I
have nominated, I point once more
to hl« well-known war record."-—
filpplncott'a Magazine.
!WIFE'S RELENTING
GOMES TOO LATE
Spokane, Oct. 10—Arrested and
brought lioro from the east on com
plaint of his wife, Richard Meinhart
iH now in jail and in danger of going
to the penitentiary, despite the eff
orts of his wife to gain for him his
liberty. The charge against Meinhart
is that ho stole from his wife diamonds
worth $1,000 and with them decamped
for the east.
It was more than a month ago that
Mrs. Meinnart complained to the
sheriff of her husband's act, and since
that time she has been urging that
officer to use more energy in the
search for Meinhart. At last Mein
hart was located and a detective sent
for him. Nrs. Meinhart was elated
when she hoard the news.
Meinhart was taken from the train
and lodged in jail yesterday afternoon.
A short time later Mrs. Meinhart
called and was granted permission to
see her husband in private. This
morning Mrs. Meinhart again called
on her husband and after the visit
entered the office of the sheriff and
calmly asked that he permit Mein
hart to accompany her home, saying
that she had forgiven him.
Surprised'at' the request of Mrs.
Meinhart, the sheriff consulted with
the prosecuting attorney and that of
ficial emphatically declined to accccd
to the woman's request. The prose
cuting attorney declares that he will
not drop the case against Meinhart
and that unless at the trial Mrs. Mein
hart gives the same evidence she
gave in preferring charges against
her husband, she will be prosecuted
for perjury.
VERDICT OF JURY
DISPLEASES MOB
Portland, Oct. 115—Threatened with
death at tho hands of friends of tho
man of whoso mnrdor ho lias just
been aeqnitted, Michael Campbell ar
rived here this morning under a
heavy guard. Cam bell was tried for
the murder of John McClelland and
Saturday afternoon the jury brought
in a verdict of acquittal.
The crime and the trial took place
iii Oathlamet and much feeling has
been engendered as tho murdered
man had many friends. During the
trial threats were freely made that
unless the jury found Campbell guilty
his freedom would be of short dura
tion. When it was learned that the
jury had arrived at a vereiet those
who had been friends of the mur
dered man assembled at. the court
house vowing to lynch Campbell, who
was, however, hurried out by a rear
entrance and accompanied by a
guard driven to another town wlioie
the train for this city was boarded.
Santa Rosa, Cal , Oct. 1!J—Mrs.
George Collier, wifo of tlio prosper*
ovis vinoyardlst and wino maker, wan
found drowned in one ,of the wine
vats on her husband'a ranch thin
morning. The hody had prohably
been in the wino since iaHt evening
for It war then that the woman wan
last seen alive.
On the Collier ranch are several
vats that will hold 2000 gallons each.
These vals are covered and a platform
runs through the building housing
them. After dinner last night Mrs.
Collier went to a neighboring ranch
and it is belloved that returning home
she attempted to pass thiough the
vat building and either slipped or
stumbled into the vat.
EDUCATIONAL LAW IS
WANTED FOR ALASKA
Washington, Oet. IB-—Education
Commissioner llrown, of Alaska, has
in his report to the government made
a recommendation that the children
of Alaska natives bo compelled to at
tend school by means of a compulsory
education law. The commissioner
says that despite the fact that the
fgovernment Is sending much money
n Alaska for educational purpose*
the groat majority of the native child
ren do not attend the schools, be
cause of the fact that the parents do
not take any Interest in the efforts to
educate their offspring.
SERVIA'S RULER
i FACING CRISIS
Paris, Oct. Ill—There wan received
from Servia'H capital last night a ru
mor that King Peter had been assasi
nated and for a time there was po
litical turmoil in the government of
Hcck here for it was feared that the
Servians would, in the event of the
death of their king, force action that
will result in the immediate declar
ation of war with Austria. While the
officials wore discussing the probable
outcome word came denying the re
ported assassination but not denying
the report that an attempt upon tne
life of the king had been made.
Through the intervention of the
powers, the situation between Bul
garia and Turkey remains unchanged,
and it is believed that if Servia can
be prevented from declaring hostili
ties against Austria the war that
threatens to involve all Europe may
be averted. In Servia, however, the
j situation is critical and the present
! outlook is that unless she declares
war against Austria she will be torn
I to pieces by civil strife.
Tho'Servians feel that their honor
has been stdlicd and the palace is
I continuously surrounded by a mob
clamoring for the blood of all Austria.
So far King Peter hasjdone all in his
power to bring the mob to J its senses
but all efforts in this direction are un
availing. King Peter realizes that
unless was is declared his tenure of
the throne it of short duration and
i it is improbable that he will hold out
j much longer.
Servia and Austria once at war,
| international alliances will be so af
fected t hat general warfare seems un
| avoidable.
MISS BENEDICT IS
TO BE SUBPOENAED
Miss Mable Benedict, tho teacher
of the Jesse Lee home in Unalaska
i who recently before the Seattle Min
isterial Association made^chargea
concerning the conduct of the rev
1 enne cutter service, "must givo her
I evidence before tho federal grand
jury to convene in Vaidez next week.
| Cable advices directing the United
States marshal in Seattle to sub
poena Miss Benedict were sent last
| night by Marshal Love, acting at the
request <>f District Attorney Crossley.
It is the purpose of District At
torney Crossley to thoroughly sift the
charges made by Miss Benedict, and
in this determination lie is acting in
full accord with the desires of officers
j and men of'the revenue (utter Bear,
now iu this port. United States offi
cials now in Vuldez, but familiar with
conditions cvisling to the westward,
declare that there is absolutely no
t riii It in the assertions made by Miss
Benedict.
iOOiUTS DROP
UNHURT 4000 FEET
Berlin, Oct., 13—Tho American en
try in the international balloon race
that started hero thin morning burnt
when at an altitude of 4,000 feet and
the thousands assembled to witness
the start of tho big content Htood
breathless while tho two aeronauts,
I Forbea and Post, struggled with re
fractory parachute lashings, the huge
! gas bag lunging earthward the while.
Hofch men succeeded In making a
safe landing but the thrilling accident
put* America out of tho race.
There were twenty-three entries In
tho race until the American balloon
met with Its accident, and the con
test is one of tho greatest interest to
students of aeronautics.
NOTED AVENGER IS
I KILLED IN FIGHT
Washington, Oct. 14—"llill Jones
i the avenger," who gained fame by
his attcmp to kill (luitnau after the
latter had assassinated President
(larflold, was shot and killed yester
day by John Mel'orson. The klil
Inggrow out of a quarrel concerning
t he |H)sscsslon of a horse,
i