VOL. III.
McCRORY, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1903.
NO. 2.
Senate Passes Merriman Bill for
Million Dollar State
House.
MONDAY. APRIL «.
A reduction of $93,900 was made in
the University of Arkansas appropria
tion bill by the bouse. The original
bill called for $257,630.76.
A concurrent resolution was adopted
by the house memorializing congress to
make a ship drainage canal of the Mis
sissippi river.
■ented proposing a constitutional ame
A resolution was offered in the sen
ate proposing a constitutional amend
ment authorizing the general assembly
to pass special laws for the govern
ment of Hot Springs.
The Senate.
Senator Caldwell introduced a bill au
thoriing the council of cities and towns
to tlx or regulate the price to be paid
for water, gas or electricity.
The bill provides that a complaint
of exoibitant charges may bo tiled by
five citizens, and that if upon investi
gation the council shall find just grounds
for the complaint, it shall fix the rate
to be charged.
The senate in executive session con
tinued the nomination by the board of peniten
tiary otiicials made by the penitentiary
board.
A bill introduced by Senator McFer
rtn to regulate the expense of obtaining
witnesses in criminal cases, was tabled.
Senator Simpson, chairman of the
special committee appointed to draft a
bill revising the chancery districts of
the state, presented the bill which had
been prepared by the committee. The
bill was read once and 300 copies ordered
printed.
Senator Hardy introduced a proposed
amendment to the constitution which.
If adopted, will empower the general as
sembly to create a commission to gov
ern and enforce the laws at Hot Springs
Senator Huddleston’s bill authorizing
government surveyors to enter lands of
citizens of tills state for the purpose
of making surveys for the geological
department, was adopted. »
Senator Hogan moved that the senate
non-concur in the house amendment to
the road law giving the quorum court
tha power to abolish tljo office of road
and bridge commissioner at their dis
cretion, and provides that all the road
taxes collected on all property of the
county be applied to roads, and not to
streets and alleys. The motion pre
vailed.
The Bouse.
Mr. Cate called up H. B. 409, the in
sane asylum appropriation bill, which
passed without opposition.
II. B. 494 (Jacobs), appropriating
$14,500 for tlie support and maintenance
of tlie Branch Normal College (colored),
was considered in committee of tlie
whole An amendment was accepted
reducing the salaries of the teach
ers from $9,900 to $8,200. Amendments
were adopted striking out the appro
priation of $500 for contingent expenses,
reducing tlie fuel fund from $600 to
$500, reducing tlie appropriation for
student labor from $t,500 to $1,000, and
striking out tlie appropriation for a
printing outfit.
Mr. Plndall introduced a bill appro
priating $500 for tiie purpose of, pre
senting a silver service to tlie monitor
Arkansas.
Upon motion of Mr. Poole, the senate
was requested to return H. B. 315, re
pealing the Wilson anti-gambling act,
which hud been passed by the house.
H. B. 514. providing for the protec
tion of poultry and quail from hawks,
was taken up and passed.
Mr. Cook of Chicot offered a concur
rent resolution asking our senator and
11 p::sentaties to join those of oth-:r
states in asking congress to make of
the Mississippi ricr a ship canal and
drainage waterway. The resolution was
adopted.
The house went into committee of
the wlitle to consider the University
appropriation bill.
The item appropriating $50,000 for a
new building for mechanic arts was re
duced to $25,000.
Item No. 2, carrying $50,000 for a
girl’s dormitory, was, on motion of Mr.
Tarver, stricken out.
The following items were also struck
out of the bill. The sum of $5.0K> lor a
dairy; $6,000 for a veterinary building;
$2,500 for additional land: $3,000 for
farmers' institute; $2,400 for salary of
entomologist.
. The committee reported progress and
was granted leave to sit again.
TUESDAY. APHID 7.
In the senate the Gantt bill seeking
to prevent the practice of drumming
at Hot Springs was passed. The Hale
drainage bill was also passed by the
senate.
The anti-trust bill was again up in
the house and consideration of amend
ments consumed about half the day's
session. An amendment was adopted
providing that the bill take effect Jan
uary 1 1904.
The Hill bill constituting certain
state officials a board of commissioners
to manage the penitentiary and state
charitable Institutions was defeated in
the house.
The Senate.
! Senator Butt called up H. B. 133
(Harris), which provides that \vhere
the general road law of 1899 Is adopted
road overseers shall be elected by the
people and not appointed by the county
judge, and lining a bond for the road
overseer at $1,000. The bill was de
feated.
H. B. 262 (Baskin), requiring the
weights df grain, chops, bran, meal and
flour to be stamped upon each sack,
barrel or package containing the same,,
passed without a dissenting vote.
Senator Gray called up H. B. 342
(Gantt), providing for the punishment
of physicians for deception or other un
professional conduct. Mr. Witt ex
plained that the bill was Intended to
give relief to residents and visitors of
Hot Springs. The bill passed.
H. B. 417 (Mutheny), providing regu
lations whereby surety companies may
become sueties upon official bonds, was
passed.
The MearB mussel fishing bill was
taken up.
Senator King explained that the bill
was an act to amend the bill passed
i In March which by mistake prohibited
the use of the device known as the
(“crowfoot.” The bill passed.
Senator Mardls called up B. 324
(Hale), providing for the establishment
of drainage districts.
Senator Hardy offered an amendment
to the effect that no action could be
taken to form a drainage district un
less two-thirds of the property owners
in the affected district sign a petition
therefor.
The amendment was lost and the bill
passed—ayes 13, noes 7.
The House.
II. B. 413 (Perry), which is intended
to encourage the raising of cattle and
to prevent the spreading of disease
among stock, was called up and passed.
H. B. 435 (Hill), was read third time.
It provides that the governor, secre
tary of state, auditor, treasurer, at
torney general, commissioner of state
lands and commissioner of mines
should compose a board of manage
ment of the penitentiary and state
chariable Institutions. The bill failed
to pass.
S. B. 153 (Jobe), providing for the
working of vagrants on the streets of
cities and towns, passed.
The house as a committee of the
whole recommended that S. B. 217, al
lowing teachers of the deaf-mute insti
tute amounts due them on contract, do
passs.
Mr. Chesnut called up senate joint
resolution No. 4, proposing an amend
ment to the constitution providing for
a three-mill tax levy for common school
purposes instead of the present two
mill tax. The resolution failed to pass.
A motion to suspend the rules and
call up S. B. No. 1, the anti-trust bill,
prevailed.
An amendment to the Are insurance
clause to insert the words “in Arkan
sas" where it refers to pools and rat
ing bureaus was defeated.
Mr. Chestnut moved to amend by
providing that the act take effect Jan
uary 1, 1904. After considerable dis
cussion tliis amendment was adopted.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8.
Mr. Merriman’s bill appropriating $1,
000.000 for the completion of the state
capitol building passed the senate with
out amendment.
Senator Price’s World's Fair bill fail
ed to pas in the senate, the president
holding that a two-thirds majority was
necessary for its passage.- The house
considered the state university appro
priation bill and struck out the items
of $10,000 for a gymnasium and $.>,000
for a summer school, besides reducing
other items.
The Senate.
Senator Price's bill making an appro
priation for the exhibit at the St. Louis
World’s Fair was a special order. Sen
ator Sengel's amendment proposing to
make the commissioner of mines man
ager of the exhibit and building, was
called up.
The psesident ruled the amendment
out of order. A motion to "concur in
the house amendment to the bill pre
vailed. The question was then upon
the adoption of President Short’s sub
stitute for Senator King’s amendment,
providing that no salary should be paid
to employes until the building is ready
for occupancy. The substitute was
lost. Senator King’s amendment pro
viding that the question of when em
ployes should be set at work be left
to tlie board of directors, but that they
should be paid only for actual services,
was defeated. The house amendment
providing for payment of employes
while on duty, was concurred in. The
roll was called on the final passage of
the bill and the vote stood IS ayes to
14 noes.
The president declared the bill de
feated, holding that a two-thirds ma
jority was necessary for its passage.
President Short from the floor moved
that the vote be reconsidered and the
motion was ordered of record.
Mr. Merriman’s bill appropriating
$1,000,000 for a state capital building,
was taken up. An amendment offered
by Senator Logan to erect the capital
on the site of the present state house
was lost. Senator King offered an
amendment, authorizing the board to
advertise for an architect who should
receive not more than $30,out). instead
of $50,000, as provided in the bill. The
amendment was lost. Senator Coving
ton opposed the Wll. He declared that
it let down the bars for the state to be
robbed.
The roll was called and the bill pass
ed—18 to 11.
Senator Collins Introduced a bill pro
hibiting fraternities in the University
of Arkansas, fixing suspension and ex
pulsion for violation of the law by stu
dents and dismissal of the president if
he permits a violation. The bill was
referred to the committee on education.
The Bouse.
H. B. 638 (Pindall), appropriating
$500 for the purpose of purchasing a
silver service to be presented to the
monitor Arkansas, was considered in
committee of the whole.
Messrs. Jacobs and Whitley opposed
the bill. Messrs. Pindall, Keel and
Merrlman urged its passage. A motion
to report the bill with the recommen
dation that it do not pass prevailed.
H. B. 306, providing an appropria
tion for the blind school, was consid
ered in committee of the whole. An
amendment was adopted reducing the
salary of physician to $750 for two
years. Amendments seeking to reduce
engineer's salary from $1,200 per year
to $1,000 for two years, to reduce the
matron’s salary to $400 per year, and
striking out the item of $3,000 for a
pipe organ and two pianos, were defeat
ed.
The bill as amended was adopted.
Tlie University appropriation bill was
taken up.
On motion of Mr. Tarver the item of
$3,000 for a summer school was struck
out
Mr. Toney moved to strike out the
Item of $10,000 for a gymnasium. The
motion prevailed a'fter some discussion.
The item of $680 for the publication
of a college paper was stricken out;
the item for maintenance of the agri
cultural department was reduced from
$4,000 to $2,000; Item of $2,862 for the
maintenance of physics and chemistry
department was reduced to $2,000.
The committee reported progress and
was granted leave to sit again.
H. B. 438, providing for a court sten
ographer for the Tenth judicial circuit,
was read third time and passed.
TKTJKSDAY, A PHIZ, 9.
The house committee on ways and
means persented four reports upon the
investigation of the charges preferred
against Governor Davis by the members
of the penitentiary board. A report
signed by Messrs. Rowland and Futrell,
making no recommendations, was
adopted.
The senate passed the bill authorizing
city and town councils to regulate the
price of water, gas and electricity.
Senator Gotham's bill abolishing the
preparatory department of the Univer
sity of Arkansas was passed by the sen
ate.
The Senate.
Senator Wilson called up his bill, ex
empting Christian Scientists from the
provisions of the act previously passed
regulating the practice of medicine and
surgery. Senators Caldwell and Cov
ington spoke in opposition to the meas
ure. Senators Collins, Logan, Simpson
and Wilson urged its passage. The
bill passed—16 to 13.
A motion to reconsider the vote by
which II. B. 42, the world's fair bill,
failed to pass, was carried.
S. B. 260 (Caldwell), authorizing the
councils of cities and towns to regulate
the price of water, gas and electricity,
passed, 26 to 2.
Senator Flenneken's bill providing for
the placing of statues of A. H. Garland
and General Pat Cleburne in the hall of
statuary at Washington, D. C., was tak
en up and passed.
Senator Cotham called up his bill,
abolishing the preparatory department
of the University of Arkansas. Senator
Cotham urged that this department ben
efited only a small portion of the state,
and that this was the best place to re
trench in the expenses of the university.
Senators Logan and Wilson opposed the
measure. The bill passed, 15 to 10.
The senate accepted an Invitation
from the city of Hot Springs to visit
that city on the following Saturday.
Senator Vaugliter's bill, amending the
text-book law, failed to pass.
The House.
H. B. 539, appropriating $30,000 to
pay mileage, per-diem and contingent
expenses of members of the general as
sembly, was passed.
Judge Merriman. chairman of the
ways and means committee presented
three reports on the investigation of
charges preferred against Governor Da
vis by members of the penitentiary
board. The house adopted a report
signed by Messrs. J. p. Rowland and
J. M. Futrell of the committee. The
finding of this report was to the effect
that the signers were of the opinion that
they had no authority to pass upon the
question as to whether the charges have
been sustained by a sufficiency of testi
mony, but that such action might influ
ence the action of the house, which is
the sole arbitrator of this controversy.
Three other reports were presented by
the committee. One of these, signed by
Chairman K. M. Merriman, J. F. Weaver,
William Flecher and K. M. Funk, and
concurred in by John H. Holland and
Park Crutcher, except as to two speci
fications, found that the testimony sus
tained a number of the charges against
Givernor Davis. A third report, signed
by B. F. Wofford, George G. Stockard
and W. W. Whitley, found that there
was no corruption in the purchase of
the convict farm on the part of either
the governor or penitentiary board; that
there was nothing to criminate Govern
or Davis in any way and that he should
be exonerated from any culpability, mis
conduct or criminality. Previous to the
adoption of the first report, a motion
to adopt the second report was lost, 4 0
to 44, and a motion to adopt the third
report was lost 43 to 44. Mr. Whitley
presented an individual report, object
ing to a number of paragraphs in the
majority report and concurring in the
report signed by B. F. Wofford, George
C. Stockard and himself.
Two thousand copies of the testimony
was ordered printed.
The house accepted an Invitation to
visit Hot Springs the following Satur
day.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10.
The King anti-trust bill amended so
as to exempt labor organizations and
not to go Into effect until January 1.
1904, passed the house by a vote of 75
to 10. A bill providing for a convention
to form a new state constitution, was
indefinitely postponed in the house.
The senate concurred in the house
amendments to Senator Price's world’s
fair appropriation bill.
Both branches of the legislature ad
journed until Monday morning in order
to visit Itot Springs the following day.
The Senate.
A messenger from the governor an
nounced that he had signed S. B. 40
(King) Increasing the powers of the
railroad commission and S. B. 253 (Bo
gan) providing for the protection of
fish.
S. B. 138 (Caldwell) providing for the
appointment of deputy prosecuting at
torneys, passed.
A motion pending to reconsider the
vote by which the Hale drainage bill
passed, was taken up. The motion was
lost, 10 to 16.
H. B. 51 (Hooker), Increasing the pay
for labor on public highways from 75
cents to $1 per day, was passed.
H. B. 472 (Keel), amending the local
option law affecting Newport, was laid
on the table.
Senator Price called up S. B. 42, the
world's fair appropriation bill, the sen
ate having reconsidered the vote by
which the bill failed to pass. The house
amendments to the bill were read and
adopted by a two-thirds vote.
H. H. 83 (Chrisp), creating a board
of pardons, consisting of the governor,
secretary of state and attorney general,
was called up and made a special order
for the following Friday.
H. B. 146, giving cities of the first
and second class the right to regulate
the building of houses within the' fire
limits,, was passed.
Senator Rlson called up Mr. Toney's
bill, regulating the crossing of street
cars over railroad tracks. The bill
passed without opposition.
At 3:30 the senate adjourned until
9:30 o’clock Monday morning.
Tha House.
II. B. 75 (Garrett), providing for a
costituttonal convention for the purpose
of forming a new state constitution, was
taken up. A motion to indefinitely
postpone the bill was carried.
Judge Keith Introduced a bill abolish
ing all college fraternities or Greek
letter societies, whether secret or other
wise.
H. B. 388, prohibiting anyone from
buying intoxicants from unknown per
sons in prohibition districts, passed.
Mr. Perry called up S. B. 1. the anti
trust bill. Mr. Moore of Newton moved
to amend by striking out the section
which provides that the sale, delivery
or disposition of any goods made by a
trust contrary to the provisions of the
act is unlawful and contrary to public
policy. The amendment was lost. The
bill passed—75 to 10. The members
voted as follows:c
Ayes—Apple, Atkins, Bell, Bevill,
Bird, Bradley, Briant, Burk. Campbell
of Randolph, Cate, Chappell. Chambers,
Chrisp, Clement, Cooke of Phillips,
Crutcher, Daniel, Dixon, Eldrldge, Ellis,
Flanagin, Fletcher, Fraser, Funk, Fuller,
Gannaway, Garrett, Gibson, Green of
Benton, Greene of Ouachita, Grlffln,
Hale, Harris, Hall, Hill, Holland,
Holmes, Hooker. Horton, Jacobs, Keel,
Kelso, Keith, Kerwin. Knox, Datimer,
Matheny, McGulgan, Meyers, Newberry,
Norfleet, Parks, Patterson, Perry. Pin
dall, Poole, Kodman, Rountree, Rowland,
Scrimshire, Slaughter, Stafford, Stevens,
Stockard, Stover, Tarver, Thompson,
White, Whitley, Whittliorne, Wltin,
Witt, Wofford, York, Mr. Speaker—75.
Noes—Arnold, Brooks, Campbel of Pu
laski, Chapline, Holman, Martineau,
Merrlman. Moore, Toney, Weaver—10.
S. B. 27, raising the allowance for
work on public roads from 75 cents to
$1 per day, and allowing overseers to
hire substitutes with the money paid
In lieu of work performed, was passed.
8. B. 141. amending the road law,
was called up. A motion to recede
from the house amendment, striking out
the section which provides that 50 per
cent of the road tax paid in second
class cities and Incorporated towns
shall be devoted to street improve
ments therein, was lost.
Mr. Martineau called up a motion to
reconsider the vote by which S. B. 113,
providing for a division of liquor li
cense revenue for the benefit of the
school fund, failed to pass. Mr. Atkins
said the passage of the bill would be a
blow to the temperance cause. Messrs.
Martineau and Campbell of Pulaski
spoke in favor of the bill. The motion
to reconsider prevailed.
The house adjourned until 9 o'clock
Monday morning.
The Whitley bill, prohibiting the
sale of game within and its shipment
without the state has been passed by
both houses of the legislature and
signed by Governor Davis. The bill
In full is as follows:
Section 1. That hereafter it shall be
unlawful for any person, corporation or
company to purchase or have in posses
sion for barter, exchange or sale, or to
expose for barter, exchange or sale, or
to sell any buck, doe, fawn, or any part
thereof, or any wild turkey or pinnated
grouse, commonly called prairie chick
en, or any quail, sometimes called Vir
ginia partridge, or any other kind of
game, wild fowls or birds whatsoever
within this state, except bear, rabbits
and squirrels.
Sec. 2. That it shall be unlawful for
any railroad company, express com
pany, steamboat company or other com
pany or any private person to expoit,
ship, remove or carry from this state
any game of any kind whatsoever.
Sec. 3. Any person, corporation or
company violating any of the provis
ions of this act shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction
shall be fined in any sum not less than
ten nor more than one hundred dollars
for each separate offense.
Sec. 4. That all laws and parts of
laws in conflict herewith are hereby re
pealed, and this act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its pas
sage.
A bill has been passed by both
branches of the general assembly and
signed by the governor requiring all
street car companies to provide sepa
rate seats for white and colored pas
sengers. The full text of the bill is as
follows:
Section 1. That all persons, compa
nies or corporations operating any
street car line in any city of tiie first
class in the state of Arkansas be and
they are hereby required to operate sep
arate cars or to separate the white and
colored passengers in the oars oper
ated for both, and to set apart or desig
nate in each car or coach so operated
for both a portion thereof, or certain
seats therein, to be occupied by white
passengers, and a portion thereof, or
certain seats therein, to be occupied by
colored passengers.
Sec. 2. That no said persons, com
panies or corporations so operating
street cars shall make any difference or
discrimination in the quality of con
venience of the accommodations pro
vided for the two races under the pro
visions of this act.
Sec. 3. That the conductor or other
person in charge of any car or coach
so operated upon any street car line
shall have the right at any time when
in his Judgment it may be necessary or
proper for the comfort or convenience
of passengers so to do, to change the
said designation so as to increase or
decrease the amount of space or seats
set apart for either race; or he may
require any passenger to change his seat
when or so often as the change in the
passengers may make such change nec
essary.
Sec. 4. That all passengers on any
street car line shall be required to take
the seat assigned to them and any per
son refusing to do so shall leave the
car, or, remaining upon the car, shall
be guilty of u misdemeanor, and upon
conviction shall be fined in any sum not
to exceed $ 25.
Sec. 5. That any person, company
or corporation failing to operate sepa
rate cars, or to set apart or designate
portions of the cars operated for the
separate accommodation of the white
and colored passengers, as provided by
this act, shal be gluilty of a misde
meanor, and upon conviction shall be
fined In any sum not to exceed 325.
Sec. 6. That nothing in this act
shall be construed to prevent the run
ning of extra or special cars for the ex
clusive accommodation of either white
or colored passengers if the the regular
cars are operated as required by this
act.
Sec. 7. This act shal be in force
and take efTect sixty days after its pas
sage.
Negro Lynohed In Court Yard.
John Turner, a negro, was lynched
by a mob at Warren, for an alleged
attempted criminal assault upon Mrs.
W. H. Neeley, a white woman, at her
home a few miles from that city. The
negro was identified by Mrs. Neeley
and the following night the mob took
him from his cell in the county jail
and hanged him to a tree in the court
house yard. Turner is said to have
confessed to the crime just before he
was hanged.
Fears of Foul Play
L. W. Thompson, of Kinnie, has
mysteriously disappeared and fears
of foul play are entertained by his
relatives. No news of the missing
man has been received since he left
his home March 11, ostensibly to go
to IleValls Bluff. He told his wife
he would return the following day.
Arkansas State News
Arkansans Honored.
It is acknowledged all over the
country that Arkansas is making
remarkable strides in commercial
and industrial growth, and it should
also be observed that in other lines
the progress is equally rapid. Dur
ing last year at least four citizens
of the state were executive officials
of national organizations, and to
their credit and the honor of their
state they proved themselves the
men for the positions. Judge U.
M. Hose was elected president of the
American Bar Association on the
23d of August, 1901, holding the
office one year. Hon. James P.
Eagle, ex-governor of x\rkansas,
was elected president of the South
ern Baptist Convention at the an
nual meeting, May 9, 1902, and is
still in office. Col. F. B. T. Hol
lenbcrg, president of the Hollen
berg Music Co., was chosen presi
dent of the National Association of
Piano Dealers of America on the
11th of May, 1902, and is the pres
ent executive of that association.
Dr. James A. Dibroll, in October,
1901, was elected vice president of
the American Medical Association.
These honors bestowed upon the
distinguished citizens of Arkansas
have directed the most favorable
attention to the state as one of
learning as well as commerce.
Big Undertaking for Organized Labor.
An immense coal company, con
trolled by organized labor has been
organized to develop coal lands in
Arkansas. The company is known
as the Labor Fuel Company, and
has been incorporated under the
laws of the United States. It is
capitalized at $75,000,000, the stock
to be sold to members of labor
unions on the installment plan.
The company has secured 15,220
acres of coal lands on the Choctaw
railroad, and it is said that the in
tention of the company is to bid
on 500,000 acres of coal lands
which is to be segregated in Indian
Territory.
Stock Fair is Planned.
At a meeting of the Arkansas
Stock Breeders’ Association held at
Little Rock, plans were formulated
for a stock fair to be held in Little
Rock next fall. A special commit
tee was appointed to act with the
executive committee of the associa
tion in selecting a date and making
all necessary arrangements. It was
decided to admit non-resident ex
hibitors on the condition that all
purchase money paid to them
should be returned within one year
if the stock does not prove satisfac
tory, or if the stock die within one
year with any previously contract
ed disease.
Large Sum for Levee RepairsJ
At a meeting of the St. Francis
levee board held at Memphis it was
decided to issue $250,000 in bonds
for the purpose of repairing and
strengthening the entire levee sys
tem. 0. X. KiHough, president of
the board, will introduce a bill into
the legislature authorizing the
board to issue the bonds. It was
also decided to begin the work of
repairing the breaks at Random
Shot and Holly Bush as soon as
the water has receded sufficiently,
which will be probably within the
next sixty days.
Button Factories for Arkansas.
Arrangements have been com
pleted for the erection of a number
of button factories in Arkansas in
order to utilize the mussel shells to
be found in this state. One of the
largest of these factories will be
at Clarendon and will employ 200
men. A mill employing GO men
will be established at Des Arc, an,d
another employing 40 men will be
built at Newark. It is expected
that other button factories will be
projected in this state within a short
time.
Killed Her Husband.
.Tames W. Weare of Tattle Rock
was shot and killed by his wife, to
whom he had been married less than
four months. The killing occurred
at the home of the dead man and
was preceded bv a seuffie between the
man and his wife. After firing the
fatal shot the woman called a phy
sician. 'The police were notified
and the woman was arrested and
placed in jail. Weare was employ
ed as a machinist in the Iron Moun
tain railroad shop at Little Rock.
He had been married twice during
the past ten months, his first wife
having secured a divorce on grounds
of cruelty. His second wife and
the one who did the shooting was
Miss Mattie DuVall, to whom he
was married December 12. At the
preliminary hearing, Mrs. Wears
was released on $1,000 bond.
Y. M. C. A. Corner Stone Laid.
The corner stone has been laid
of the Young Men’s Christian As
sociation building to be erected at
Little Hock at a cost of $.10,000.
The laying of the corner stone was
celebrated with elaborate ceremo
nies. The chief address was deliv
ered by George T. Coxhead, of St.
Louis, who organized the Little
Rock Association in 1885. This
ceremony was followed by an im
mense mass meeting, at which ad
dresses were delivered by Judge
Selden F. Spencer, of St. Louis,
and ,1. F. Holden, traffic manager
of the Rock Island system.
Boys Acquitted of Murder Charge.
Ira and Lennie Lane, two young
white men, who were charged with
the murder of their father, were ac
quitted in the circuit court at Ma
rianna. The two boys with their
father moved to Woodruff county
from Brownwood, Tex., about a year
ago and engaged in the pearl fish
ing business. A short time later
the father was found dead and the
sons were arrested as they started to
return to their old home in Texas.
To prevent a threatened lynching
the prisoners were hurried from
one jail to another until the excite
ment had subsided.
Decision in Big Bond Case.
Judge Trieber, in the federal
court at Little Lock, made an or
der making permanent the injunc
tion issued by him February 27,
restraining the Knickerbocker Trust
Company of Xow York and John
R. Dos Passos from bringing any
suits to recover on the state aid
bonds issued nearly forty years ago
to the Fort Smith and Iron Moun
tain railroads. The total amount
involved in this case is about
$20,000,000.
Fire at Fulton.
The St. Louis, Iron Mountain
and Southern railroad depot, three
freight cars, a cotton platform on
the river front and fifty bales of
cotton were destroyed by fire at Ful
ton. The loss is estimated at $6,
000. The cotton was insured. It
was thought that the cotton was
ignited by sparks from an engine.
Fell Dead While at Work.
A. J. Brown, a carpenter 60
years of age, living at Eureka
Springs, was stricken suddenly with
heart failure and fell dead from
a scaffold upon which he was work
ing. While preparing the body for
burial, a secret band was beneath
his underwear inside of which was
$800 in currency.
Indications of Oil.
Indications of oil have been found
in Searcy county. Workmen un
covered some black limestone rocks,
in which were a number of pockets
containing oil. When a match was
applied to the oil it readily ignited.
After the rocks were removed from
the ground they retained a distinct
odor of oil.