Pittston Gazette from Pittston, Pennsylvania • Page 1

xTHE PEOPLE'SvREWMY PAPER, THE WEATHER. TEMPERATURE TODAY, i Shown by recording ttiermometer on Gazette building up to :20 p. to. 52, 12 noon; min, 48, 9 a. m.

"ft, Fair tonight and Tuesday. Colder tonight. l4 vt? AP Weekly established isbo. OlSt CiAK. DAILY EST.

BY THBO: HART, 1888. PITTSTON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1911. ONE CENT A COPY. TWENTY FIVB CENTS A MONTH TEN PAGES. GARL1 AH DISSENTS ha HOVEff township raw BIST THE COURT DECLARES COUNTY ALREADY HAS cj uum era en CONTRACT CASE T0D rvn ft: mm 0 ROAD mm AM Aim OBJECTS TO ROAD CONTRACTS JUDGE FERRIS INTIMATES HUE DEAD POLICE EFFECT THREE MORE relS gazette carrier BRIAND ENTIRE FRENCH CABINET RESIGNED TODAY Mi 7...

BEING cnEN TO CONTRACTOR BACKjED BY THE COAL COMPANIES IN OPINION DISSENTING FROM THAT OF OTHER JUDGES OF COUNTY BENCH FORMAL CONTRACT ORDER MADE BY COURT. With three members of the court satisfied wilh the good faith of the petitioner and the sufficiency of his petition, President Judge Ferris on behalf of Judges Jones and Fuller handed down the formal order this morn ing awarding Attorney P. W. Me. Keown, the contract of working th roads of HanoVer township.

McKeown is the representative of the coat companies, and the order of the majority of the court means that the, coal companies have been given the contract for working the roads. Judge Garman filed a dissenting opinion and, after discussing the law on the subject, concludes by saying that he believes the petition should be denied because McKeowacandidly admitted that he is not of such financial ability as would enable him to fulfill the requirements of the statute, ana also because there is nothing but a parol contract between him and hi; backers, 1 Judge Garman says that when the petitioner, and the only petitioner, before the court admits his personal inability to fulfill the requirements ol the law, that, in his judgment, ended his availability and the court should nave rejected the petition. Speaking of the roads of Hanover Township, Judge Garman comments: "The only roads that are worth dignifying with the name in the township of Hanovenare those which were con. tracted for and constructed under the supervision of the supervisors, the lawfully elected and proper representatives of the people. "During the hearing it was alleges that the supervisors of the townshiii had been extravagant in the expenditures for the construction of the highways but there is no evidence to sustain this contention, except as to the amount spent upon the roads ana bridges and considering the fact that the roads had not been properly constructed and put in repair during previous years, the reason for large expenditures was reasonably 'explained.

Besides, the question of the action of the supervisors is not for the court in this proceeding. They are responsible to the people and the proper auditors will hold them to that responsibiity. "It appeared during the hearing that contracts have been let by the Supervisors covering a number of the roads and streets of the 'Baid township and involving an expenditure of about sixty to seventy thousand dol What shall be the standing of these contracts 'inat the township is liable if the contractor performs his undertaking is beyond question. Will the petitioner give bond to secure the contractor in case he performs his duty under his contract, or will the contractor be obliged to do his work and wait until the slow process of law shall provide for his payment? "Aqaln, a forcible reason why the court should not have granted this petition is the fact that, if the petitioner fails to perform his duty, the only fixed liability on the bond would be to the amount twenty thousand dollars, This would be the limits of responsibility. "By reason of the fact thai; the taxes of the said companies mentioned alone are about five times that amount, it would take little judgment to see that a great profit would be realized by refusing or failing to do more than the bond required.

"Whether the supervisors shall expend larare sums money and give to the public good roads or whether private petitioners shall retain the money and give to the public little or nothing is net a question for our determination as a Formal Order of the Court. The order handed down by Judge Kerris was merely a formal one, which perhaps was the original accompanying McKeown's petition. It says the court is satisfied with the wod faith of the the sufficiency of his petition, bond and notice, and directs the Supervisors, Messrs, Patrick Mohan, Edward Sweeney and James Hiscock to enter into a contract with Attorney McKeown to work the roads under the act of June 12. 1893. EIS DAMAGED BY FIRE Several boys, while passing the dry goods store of Louis Larson, which Is located on Main street, Duryea, about noon yesterday noticed smoke coming from the building.

An investigation showed that a fire had started in the basement of the building. The alarm was immediately turned In and the three fire companies responded. The firemen succeeded in getting control of the fire before any serious damage was done. Mr. Larson's loss, which is about $500, is entirely covered by Infliiranfp Thn hnimlnff la Turn story frame structure and Is owned by Louis Cohen, of Scranton, the loss amounts to several hundred dollars ana is 'uverea py insurance.

OF UNITED STATES COURT JUDGE FEW NEW LICENSES WELL BE GRANTED GIVEN ENT PETITION JUDdE FER RIS MAKES SPEECH IN WHICH HE DECLARES; LUZ ERNE COUNTY HAS ALREADY MORE THAN ENOUGH SA LOONS. "Luzerne county has more than enough saloons," declared Judge Ferris this morning in responding to a petition presented to the court by the clergymen, at a special hearing. Last week clergymen throughout the county asked for special permission to be heard, and, in response to the re quest, President Judge Ferris fixed a hearing for this morning. Ten o'clock was fixed as the time and when that hour arrived almost every seat in court room No. 4 was taken by the ministers.

Judges Ferris, Fuller, and Jones occupied the bench, Judge Garman being absent on account of a previous engagement out of town. Rev. A. J. Kerr, of Wilkesbarre, was the spokesman for the ministers and he merely read the formal petition adopted by them.

It recommended that the court refuse to grant additional licenses as drinking places foster drinking habits. County Has Enough Saloons. In behalf of his associates, Judge Ferris responded and intimated there would not be a single new license granted by either htm. Judge Jones or Judge Fuller, except In extreme cases. He Said the granting or licenses was not a judicial duty, but that the judges would do the best they ean.

His remarks were as follows; "The court appreciates the difficulty. In handling this subject. Unfortunately the law of the land the law of this commonwealth imposes upon the court the duty of exercising such discretion as they possess In the granting of retail and wholesale liquor licenses, pursuant to the evidence brought before them in the matter or hearing petitions. We will do the best we can in handling this unpleasant and difficult subject. "The practice of excessive drinking, to which you have rererred in your petition as being' the root or a large portion of the crime which engages the attention of this court, seems to be very difficult for the court to handle or have much effect upon under the.

present state of the laws as we Interpret it. We however, will do the best we can. "It is perfectly apparent to us that a. great r'any saloons receive licenses from year to year that perhaps ought to be Siscontinued and room made for better places to fill tne vacancy if a vacancy might be said to exist under the law. Places where the laws will ie bitter respected.

"This is almost a physical Impossibility. "The courts were Instituted primarily for the trial of causes upon evidence and the decision of them. We cannot take up the additonal burden of considering one by one, each ol these twelve hundred applications old licenses, hear evidence, pro and oon, weight it, and treat them as cases tried before the court and jury without discontinuing other court business. 1 "The granting of licenses, is not primarily a judicial duty," but the present law requires the courts to pass upon that matter. In my opinion it could be done just as well by an excise beard.

The court ougnt not to have the disposition of this question as it tends to bring the administration of Justice into disrepute. "Last year I read in one of tne newspapers that an eminent clergyman announced In one of the churches that In matters granting licenses our judges are not to be trusted. If the ministers feel that way what shall be said of others If the court brought into disrepute by having to determine this matter in the opinion of the clergy, what is to be said by the general public? If a judge cannot be trusted in license matters how can he be trusted at all? "It has a tendency to create a distrust In the community and of law on this subject, and very easily cause the people to take step into the distrust of our administrations in general. "We will do what in our judgment the law requires us to do. We have no desire to increase the number of sa loons in Luzerne County, as we now have enough and more than enough of saloons and drinking places and the number ought not to be increases.

"Circumstances in different communities may make it necessary under the evidence and law to grant some additional licenses. But these ought to be under exceptional circumstances indeed. It is the intention of Judge Fuller, Judge Jones and myself to confer with each other regarding these matters and especially where we need the concurrent judgment of each other. We realize the gravity of the duty imposed upon us and the extreme difficulty in securing satisfactory results no matter what we do. "It is proverbial in Luzerne County that in granting liquor licenses that whatever the court does is wrong in the estimation of some of the community." Minister Was Misquoted, Rev.

Kerr asked leave to make a further statement and said in Mgard to the remark by the court that a minister asserted that the court could not be trusted in license matters, believed that the clergyman was misquoted. He thanked the court for the hearing given the clergymen and said that the ministers would abide and satisfied with the court's action. Before adjournment Judge Ferris directed the petition of the clergymen el and said that the court would give It due consideration. Continued on Fin Three. TAL OF JEWEL ROBBERY New York, Feb.

27. That, a band of Continental crooks, with their craft under the guidance of an American crook, is responsible for' the robbery of $130,000 worth' of jewelry from Mrs, M. A. Drummond, formerly Mrs. Marshall Field, of Chicago, on the liner Amerika is the theory the police working on today.

Mrs. Drummond Is ill at the Plaza hotel as a result of her loss. The Hamburg America officials said today they had not the slightest clews to the perpetrators. In an effort to locate the thieves the officers of the ship went to police headquarters today. They lookea through the collection of pictures in the Rogues' Gallery to see if there was any one who resembled any of the passengers.

Deputy Police Commissioner Flynh ami Inspector Russell directed the search, but refused to say whether the visit was worth while. 'Afterward the steamship men went to the big private detective agencies and looked through their galleries. That the robbery was in accordance with a perfectly arranged plan is indicated, according to the detectives, by the fact that the jewels were not taken until v.after 10 o'clock Saturday night. The steamer docked yesterday afternoon and the robbery had been discovered only a few hours before. This gave the steamship officials no time to make any extended investigation before the passengers The jewels stolen were not subject to duty.

Mrs. Drummond Is the wife of an Englishman and as such would have been permitted to bring the Jewels into this country while on a visit without paying duty. She, said today that a3 a matter of fact most of them were bought in this country while she was still Mrs. Marshall Field, although, they had been reset in Eng Inrtri 1 YEGGMEN TRIED TO SAFE AT M'KEESPORT MnTCeesnort. Feb.

Tho flmplv arrival of the police prevented five masked men from blowing open the post office safe. The police and robbers exchanged many shots, but no one was injured. The robbers escaped. MORE MONEY FOR i OR IRK STOPS Havana, Feb. Two hundred men will be laid off tomorrow and all nort of raising the battleship Maine will be suspended, unless the United States Congress makes further appropriations.

SHEPPARD IS OUT, BUT NO CHANGE SEf Albany, Feb. 27. Elliot Sheppard was eliminated from the senatorial race today. The legislature, however. Is again deadlocked.

BY COURT IN TRUST CASES Washington, Feb. 27. Despite the belief that the Supreme court woula render a decision in the trust cases, no opinions were rendered this after noon. FLOUR FOR STARVING CHINA. Minneapolis, Feb.

27. Ten thousand sacks of Wash burn Crosby's Gold Medal Flour are now on their way to the relief of starving China. This is the equivalent of 50,000 loaves of bread and ts the gift of the Christian Herald. It took six cars to carry this Immense consignment, an8 it is being rushed across the continent by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul and Chicago.

Milwaukee and Puget Sound railways. At Seattle the sacks will be transferred to the United States transport Buford and they will be carried to China at the government's expense. The Christian Herald sent 40,000 sacks to China during another famine several years ago and on this occasion Gold Medal flour was also selected. TOWN WIPED OUT. New Barn, Feb.

27. The town of LaGrange was wiped putney fire today. CONTI NEN CROOKS BACK AT HAZtETON GABRIEL GEROTSKY, FOREIGN MIXER, AN HJS FOUR CHILDREN WERE BURNED TO DEATH EARLY THIS MORN INC IN A FIRE WHICH DESTROYED THEIR HOME MOTHER AND CRIPPLED SON ESCAPE. Spepial to the Gazette. Hadeton Feb.

27. Oneida, just outside of the city, was teh scene of a frightful disaster this morning, nbea tbt) home of Gabriel Geretsky was destroyed by fire and Geroosky and four of his children perished in the fluin.es. Gcroteky was a miner and was 43 years of age. The. four children who perished were: Annie, aged 12; Mary, aged eight; Michael, aged four, and Gabriel, aed two.

The Ger ooskeys lived In one side of a double Early this morning the crippled son smellcd smoke in the house and got up to He summoned his mother and went with her to the door. While they were there, the flames broke through the wnll from the adjacent apartment, occupied by a family named Slovak, and cut oft the escape of Gcroteky and his four, children, who perished In the flames. Their charred bodies were recovered after the fire burned Itself out. BARBER HAS SHE Akron, Feb. 27.

A plan by which the common people could own the railroads' of the United States with government control, is proposed by Ohio C. Barber, the multi milliop. aire match king and father of American trusts, in his third letter on the railroad problem, which was sent to all congressmen today. Barber, who has been fighting high railroad rates since his retirement as head of the match trust, advocates that the government take over all the railroads by issuing two per cent, government bonds for all railroad securities. AT SI.

This evening at 8 o'clock sharp, the curtain will rise and the minstrel and operetta to be presented In St. Cecelia Hall, Wyoming, will be commenced. A full round of enjoyment is in store for the crowd that is coming. The evening's entertainment will open with a minstrel show, with its funny Jokes and comic songs. After the minstrelsy and just before the operetta, will come Madame Ainsworth, recently of England, whose voice has charmed audiences in London.

This will be a rare treat in Itself, but It will not be all. The operetta "A Nautical Knot" so much talked of, will be uresented for the first time in this section. The proceeds of the evening's entertainment, will be given to the new church of the Immaculate Conception, which has been recently erected in West Pittston. Read Tna WAwrrra and kMn posted. CAMELS LIVED HERE FIRST.

Bering Strait Cut Off Animal Migration, Professor Says. America has been designated as the cradle of the camels by Professor William B. Scott of Princeton university in a speech at a meeting of the American Philosophical society. "Camels have been found in almost every part of the world," he said, "but I believe they originated on this continent and passed into the old world at one of the times when this and other continents were joined by the filling up of Bering strait." This theory of the filling up of Ber ing strait was used by the professor also in explaining the similarity of structure in animals which would seem to have been at one time or other Indigenous both to the far north and the far south. Bears at one time were supposed to have originated here, but scientists say now they lived first in the old countries and migrated here in one of the eons when the strait closed and made a natural passageway into the country.

The disappearance of the great prehistoric creatures which once roamed the earth the professor attributed to the. introduction of new diseases rather than to an exhaustion or devolution of type. feed lea Uiom wa keep potted IC1FIE! ARRESTS IN THE BLACK, HAND CRUSADE IV THIS CITY ONE OF THE PRISONERS CHARGED WITH A MURDER IN THIS CITY 0 SEl YEARS AGO POLICE FORG ING STRONG CHAINS OF EVT DENCE. Another chapter has been written in the Black Hand annals of this city, but the book, in which Pittston is depicted as the nesting place of the mafia, has not been closed and the au thorities, who have, been working in defatigaLly in the cases since the shooting of Sam Lucchino flashed the red flag of contempt for law and or der in their faces a few weeks ago, promise other Interesting chapters that will add more names to the 11 already as members of the dread camorra. On Saturday night Chief of Police Prtce and County Detective Mackin together with Detective Schneider, of Wilkesbarre, armed with warrants secured from Alderman Barrett, again invaded the Italian quarter, on Rail road street, and within a stone's throw of the scene of the Lucchino shooting arrested three men on cnarg es growing out of the crime.

The men are Peter La. itta, John Pruensana, and Charles Cb sona, and they were held for a furt er hearing by Alder man Barrett. icatta and Pruensana are charged wit complicity in the Lucchino shooting, the charge being conspiracy, but against Carsona is lodged the more serious charge of the murder of Guiseppe Castellina in this city almost six years ago. TI13 arrests of the three men Saturday furnish most interesting developments which show that the police have been working assiduously on the cases and have unearthed a wealth of bearing on the nefarious organization and its dire machlnationsin this city. They have, since the Lucchino 'shooting, arrested eleven men.

They are charged with three crimes, the Lucchino shooting, the murder of Peter Savalgl, whose Oead body was found in a cave hole last summer and the murder of Cas tellini. The procedure of the police in the cases, while it has, in a mrse measure, been closed to the public and the press, has been exciting much interest and further developments are expected. The hearings have been held in the tribunal of Alderman Barrett, and only sufficient eviaence has been iurnished to justify the alderman i his course in holding the defendants. It is reported that Sam Lucchino, the witness in the Liipo band counterfeiting cases in New Yoik, who was shot down when he returned to this city from the metropolis, has proved invaluable to the police In their Investigations. It is further said that more arrests will be made and that the po lice anticipate that this crusade against the mafia in this city will ef fectively break up the organization in the county and, by crushing the re maining members of the Lupo band, break its back in the metropolis.

Chief Price is back of the cases. He has been reticent to discuss them, but it is evident that the present cam paign against this criminal organiza tion is the most concerted and thor ough, in the cumulative force attained, that has been inaugurated in this community. At the present time, all of the elev eh men are charged with being Implicated in the Lucchino as princi pals and conspirators. All but three were taken in this city. They were all held for court on evidence furnished by Lucchino.

The men arrested Sat urday night were committed to the county jail for'a further hearing. The last arrests bring to mind one of the most revolting murders that has ever been perpetrated in this city. Guiseppe Castellina, a native of Sicily was shot down on the morning of March 905, as he was returning to' his boarding house at 61 Railroad street is charged with the shooting. It was learned that he was shot by an unknown man, who step nad out from ambush near the corner or Railroad and Lagrange streets and fired five shots from a revolver. Four of tha bullets took effect, but any one would have been fatal.

He was dead almost before the police reached the scene No motive tor the murder be found and it was assumed that it sprang from the Sicilian vendetta in which also originated two murders in this city attributed to the Lupo band. Very singularly, both, of these murders were committed on Rnilroad ctreet. About the only thing known of Castellina, other thannhat he left a wife in Italy, was that. he had accompanied Guiseppe Mitchka to the station the day of the McCue murder, for which Mitcha has just finished serving a term In the penitentiary. Castellina was not arrested in that case.

The men arrested Saturday night are not unknown to the police and are aid to have been under surveillance for some time. POLICE COURT. At an early hour Sunday morning, Ollicer Pendergast arrested a young man by the name of South Main street, for drunk and disorderly conduct. He was sriven a hearing be fore Mayor Goldv and, as this was his offense, the Mayor decided to give him another trial. Officer Connell was called to Mhe home of John Washifski, of Johnson street last evening, where a wedding was being celebrated.

Two of the guests, who had indulged in too much of the refreshments, were causing much disturbance. The officer placed both men under arrest and gave them a night's lodging in the city jail. They were given a hearing bfforo Mayor Golden this morning and fined Eve dollars each. Attacked by a savage dog as he" was delivering papers in Cork Lane district Saturday evening, Harry Hapeman, aged 12 years, of William stret, was bitten four times by the ant mal before he was able to drive It off. Young Hapeman is employed as a carrier for the Gazette and has large route in the Cork Lane district.

As he was passing along Poole street, so it is reported, the dog sprang out at him from a yard and attacked him. Four times it sunk its teeth Into one of his legs, inflicting painful Iacera, i tlons, although not gashing the flean badly. As soon as he could drive the brute off, young Hapeman hurried to the office of Dr. J. B.

Mahon, wnare i the physician cauterized the wound' and dressed the lacerations. The wounds did not appear to be inflamed" when the physician again dressed, them this morning. The State department officers, who. are shooting the unmuzzled dogs un. der the quarantine In force here now, were notified of the incident and went to the scene this morning.

They found the dog and had it chained up, pending developments. The animal will probably be killed and its bead sent to Philadelphia to be examined for traces rabies. It Is said that the dog attacked the officer when ho en terpd the yard where it waa thkr morning. Michael Slovak, of Dupont, wm arraigned before Alderman Earrett, Saturday evening on a Warrant prei ferred against him by his fath charging with assault and batte The alderman decided to free 'the prisoner on his promise to behave better In the The case w4 settled. Caught In New York.

Frank Plconne and Romantio List enanza were arraigned before Alderman Barrett yesterday morning charged with taking nearly a hundred dollars from their employer, Vito Blanco, the South Main street grocerymaa and banker. The young men after taking the money escaped to New York, but Mr. Bianco learntog of their whereabouts, secured a. warrant from Alderman Barrett and went down Jm New York the early part of last wemc. He found both young men, and arrested them, returning to.

this city Saturday evening. Mr. Bianco did not care to press tha case, as he merely wanted his money, so the men were given their freedom. Warrant Out For Dullard. The State Police are making a vigorous search for Sammy Dullard, ot West Avoca, who it Is alleged escaped from his boarding house whn money and Jewelry amounting to 178 dollars.

A warrant was Issued Satur day by Alderman Barrett. YOUNG SWINDLERS ARE ON PAROLE Conditioned they make restitution of the stolen property by paying tne merchants the value of It, Judge Jones released Alfred Sicoe and Patsy Dl Santo on parole on the charges ot false pretense by the Bee Hive Jewelry Co. and Samuel Landau, of Wilkesbarre. The young men were arrested last December on charge Of obtaining two diamond rings valued at about $180 from each of the concerns. The diamonds were pawned in New York and the defendants captured in Detroit.

The young men when arraigned for trial in January last pleaded guilty and admitted they gave worthless checks for the rings. Since that time the case has been held under advisement by Judge Jones. The young men said they had pawn tickets for two of the diamonds, but lost the other two tickets. Judge Jones was rather undecided in the matter and after a conference with Judges Ferris and Fuller agreed to parole the young men conditioned that they would get employment in this city and pay the costs and make restitution to the merchants. The costs, will amount to about 400 Attorneys Kosek, Mulherin, and Evan Jones appeared for the defendants.

SLANDER SUIT FILED. For slander, 'Augusta. Swlthera, of Nanticoke, through her attorney, Charles A. Shea, began an action In trespass today against John Schulta of that place for the recovery of $5,000 damage. The plaintiff allege that the defendant charged her with carrying off property belonging to hie deceased wife.

It wa' claimed defendant said the plaintiff took spoons and other articles and, carried them away under her shawl. TROUBLE THREATENS P. R. R. Harrisburg, Feb.

27. A struggle between the Pennsylvania Railroad management and the Brotherhood of Railway Mechanics, which lately haa been making big enlistments among the local employes of the company, is forecasted by men connected witJf the union. Of 270 men who have just been laid off on indefinite furloughs, 95 per cent, are members of the union, it la said, and officers of the brotherhood allege that their membership In the union is the real reason for dlimlselif the men. Paris. France.

Feh. 27. The entire French cabinet, headed by Premier Briand, has stepped out of office, tendering their resignations this after noon. It was felt, for some time that the cabinet would resign and the death of Minister of War Brum hastened the move. Premier Briand reached' the decision that the resigna tions were urgent on Friday, when only a small majority was given to the ministry in the Chamber of Deputies, when the question of a vote of confidence was out to that body.

Briand declares that the vote demonstrated TRIAL OF NOTORIOUS SUIT FOR DAMAGES New York, Feb. 27. Trial of the hundred thousand dollar damage suit of Anna Bertha Grunspan against William E. Walling was suddenly interrupted today when Attorney. Fuchs for the yefendant, without warning, asked Miss Gruns pan, who was on the stand, whether she had not been ejected from ner quarters at St.

Mark's place because the landlady "objected to her soliciting men before her front door." "It's a lie," shouted the witness. "If she said that she lied and you lie." Rising and turning to Justice Giegerich she screamed in a voice hoarse with emotion, and almost Inaudible for its shrillness: "It's more than a woman can stand; it's terrible; It's a lie; what shall 1 do?" The excited Worhaiifell' back In the witness chair sobbing and shaking her fists at the jurors. KestoraMves were administered but when Miss Grunspan began to recover contro; of her emotions, her mother who was sitting behind Attorney Strlckler who represents the plaintiff began to cry out, and a second storm assailed the court. "Judge, it's a lie," shouted the mother. "My daughter never" But here she was hushed by officials who rushed to her side and quickly forced her from the room.

During the scene William E. Walling sat. beside his attorney a rew feet from the witness calm and apparently unaffected by sufferings of the woman who claims that he has wrong' ed her. FOR HIGHER RATES yew York, Feb. 27.

Eminent lawyers, representing railroads this afternoon held a secret session for the purpose of discussing the refusal of the interstate commission to permit the railroads to increase freight rates. What transpired at the meeting was kept from the outside world, but It is known that another meeting will be called. that the people desired a change. Washington, U'eb. 27.

Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief chemist of the Department of Agriculture, today married Mies Anna CampbeU Melton. The complete text of the decision of the commission was thoroughly discussed, but every effort was made to keep the outside world in ignorance of all that transpired. It was reported, however, that following today's meeting another will be called which will be attended by the lawyers and the executive heads of all of the railroads affected.

Until that time no definite action will be taken. It was learned by the IJnlted Press upon excellent authority that there was a disposition on the part of all of the lawyers to accept the decision of the commission, so far as the blanket advances are concerned, as a closed inciflent. Most of the time at today's meeting was devoted to a discussion of the constitutionality of that provision of the Mann F.lkins lfew which gives the commission power fix rates. Whether or nvt it is advisable to bring a suit to test tbat provision was considered. CORSET MAKERS HAVE QUIT WORK Kalamazoo, Feb.

Be cause of a reduction in wases, 1,400 employes of the Kalamazoo Corset Co. struck today. WOMAN SEEKS DIVORCE. Alleging desertion Agatha Shoemaker, of Freeland, began an in divorce against August Shoemaker. The couple were married about March 15, 1885, at Pilviski, Russia, by Rev.

Matthias Holleka and came to Vre land In October 1890. They lived to gether there until February 1900 when the respondent deserted his wife. The llbellant is 42 years of age and the respondent 55. Attorney John S. Lo patto represents the petitioner.

1 5 Washington, Feb. 27. The senate committee on judiciary today recommend the confirmation of C. B. Wlt mer to be United States uflge for the middle district of Pennsylvania.

'He Is now United States district attorney and will succeed Judge Archbald, who was appointed to the commerce court,.