Current Mention

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 30, 1903

— A fast of forty days to cure paralysis was successfully carried out by Edward McIntyre, of Moosic, Pa., the ordeal ending June 9. Its effect on his paralysis is not stated.

— Four persons were killed and eight injured at Spokane, Wash., June 23, by a runaway train of sixty loaded cars, which coasted four miles down hill and wrecked two buildings.

— The great strike of operatives in the textile mills at Lowell, Mass., came to an end June 21, the result being a victory for the mill owners. The strike began March 30, and involved 17,000 workmen, who lost in wages about $1,300,000.

— Much military activity is manifested at the present time by Turkey, arrangements having just been made for moving 50,000 Turkish troops to Salonica and a like number to Adrianople. There is occasional fighting between Turkish soldiers and Bulgarians.

— A London dispatch says that reports from the west of Ireland, Lancashire, and other points state that thousands of acres of potatoes have been ruined by the present frost and rain. It is feared that the failure of the Irish potato crop will entail much hardship on the peasants.

— President Roosevelt has decided to forward to the czar of Russia the Jewish B’nai B’rith society’s petition against Jewish massacres; the president’s cabinet are surprised at this action, and opposition is expressed by Secretary Hay; the Russian ambassador has hinted that the petition is not wanted.

— European monarchs are determined that the assassination of a king and queen shall not be regarded as a light matter, however objectionable they may have made themselves to the people, so the British, German, French, Turkish, and Dutch ministers to Servia have left Belgrade to avoid recognizing King Peter. The United States will be governed by the diplomatic majority. Servian officers were also driven from a St. Petersburg theater.

— The responsibility for the recent massacre of Jews at Kishinef, Russia, is now laid by the press upon Russian Minister De Plehve, who it is stated engineered the terrible affair in order to influence the czar against carrying out reforms which De Plehve opposed. Seven hundred arrests of persons implicated in the massacre were made, of whom 500 were soon afterwards liberated, the remainder being sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from a fortnight to two months.

— Considerable success appears to attend the latest efforts of M. Santos Dumont and others to solve the problem of aerial navigation. A Paris dispatch of June 23 says: “Santos Dumont made his appearance to-day in air-ship No. 9, over the center of Paris. He started from Longchamp, going in the direction of the Place de l’Etoile. He executed a number of skillful maneuvers over the Place de l’Etoile, made a tour of the Arc de Triomphe, and turning down the Champs Elysées, brought his air-ship down at the door of his house.”

— At Peoria, Ill., Wilmington, Del., and East St. Louis, Mo., there have been recent lynchings or attempts at the same, that at Wilmington resulting in the burning of a negro at the stake. In some quarters negro ministers are telling their people to arm themselves for self-protection. It is evident that a serious situation is rapidly developing out of the race question.

— There was serious rioting in Richmond, Va., June 24, growing out of the street-car strike which was begun there recently. Six persons were seriously injured by the guards who were protecting the company’s property, and for a time a reign of terror is said to have prevailed, characterized by “the utter defiance of all law.” The situation became so serious that military assistance to preserve order was asked by the mayor, and several militia companies were forwarded from Norfolk and Newport News, although 800 troops were already in the city for that purpose.

— At a recent papal consistory the pope created seven new cardinals, none of these being American. It is stated that with these changes in the College of Cardinals, German and Austrian influence will be much stronger than French, the total being distributed as follows: Germany, 3; Austria, 4; Bohemia, 1; and Hungary, 2. The racial complexion of the college as it now stands is as follows: Italian, 40; French, 7; Spanish, 6; Austrian, 4; German, 3; Hungarian, 2; Irish, 2; Portuguese, 2; American, 1; Belgian, 1; Bohemian, 1. The seven additional prelates are distributed as follows: Italy, 2; Austria, 2; Spain, Germany, and Portugal, each one.

— A Washington, D. C., dispatch states that the opposition to United States Senator Smoot, the Mormon apostle, which has hitherto been confined to religious circles, may be taken up by the Utah Democrats, who have become suspicious of a ‘deal’ between the Mormons and Utah Republicans. It is stated that the senate committee on elections are receiving numerous letters and remonstrances from all parts of the country against the seating of Mr. Smoot, and there is every evidence of a tidal wave of opposition from the religious people, such as overwhelmed Brigham H. Roberts when he essayed to take his seat in the House.

— A planter of Tallapoosa County, Alabama, named Pace, who was recently brought before the court in Montgomery on a charge of holding negroes in involuntary servitude, pleaded guilty to the charge, and was sentenced to a term of five years in the penitentiary. An appeal to the circuit court of appeals, at New Orleans, La., was taken, to make a test case, and Mr. Pace was released on a $5,000 bond. At Macon, Ga., similar cases came before the United States court, June 24, three young men being fined $1,000 each for having caught and whipped a negro who was in debt to them, compelling him to work to pay the debt. The fines were, however, suspended during good behavior, on payment of $100 each. It is alleged by planters in the cotton States that the use of force is necessary at times in order to save their crops, as otherwise the negroes would at critical times refuse to work. The work of breaking up this new slave system is done by the United States courts and federal grand juries.