NEWS AND NOTES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 14, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 20.

FOREIGN.

—Von Hohenlohe, the German chancellor, has resigned, and will vacate his office in September.

—On May 3, Ambassador Uhl, the new United States Representative at Berlin, had his first audience with the emperor and empress of Germany. The visit was conducted with great ceremony.

—The monarchical party is said to be gaining considerable headway in Brazil. A number of monarchist papers have been lately established, and open threats are made for restoring the imperial régime.

—The Oceanic steamship Monowai brings news of the disaster in the Brunner mine, New Zealand, on March 26. An explosion of fire-damp caused a cave-in, imprisoning sixty-seven men, none of whom escaped.

—The forces of the Khalifa in the Soudan are estimated at 110,000 men, of whom 40,000 are armed with rifles. It is believed, however, that not more than one-fourth of this number could be concentrated to repel any attack of the Egyptian army, owing to the wide extent of territory which has to be guarded.

—Since the disastrous defeat of the Italian forces in Abyssinia, King Humbert has donated 400,000 francs to the families of the soldiers killed and wounded in the African campaign. He has also given 100,000 francs to the Red Cross Society for its use in relieving the wounded. It is also reported that the beleaguered garrison at Adigrat has been relieved.

—In the House of Commons, England, on May 8, Mr. Chamberlain admitted that the government was responsible for the acts of the chartered South Africa Company, and that its part in the Jameson raid was a reflection on England. Nevertheless, he asked that Cecil Rhodes be not censured too severely, on account of his services to England in the past.

—Cuban news during the week shows a victory, after a real fight, for the Spaniards, and a town burned within sight of Havana, by the insurgents. It is reported that the private secretary of Maceo has taken advantage of the amnesty declared by Weyler, and has surrendered, being immediately released. The despatch makes him state that Maceo has a well-organized army of 15,000 under his immediate command.

—A disastrous earthquake has visited the province of Manabi, Ecuador. Puerto Viejo, the capital, a city of some ten thousand inhabitants, with advanced improvements and many institutions of learning, is said to be entirely destroyed, with great loss of life. Floods followed the earthquake shocks. Manta, a seaport town of the same province, has also suffered severely. Later advices will probably give particulars as to lives lost.

—Two American newspaper correspondents have been ordered to leave Cuba at once. These are James Creelman, of the New York World, and Frederick W. Lawrence, of the New York Journal. The charges are that they have calumniated General Weyler, the government, and the army, and attributed insurgents’ crimes to the Spanish army. So reads a press item. Sooner or later in the work of the war correspondent he wishes to make his coup by stating the true inwardness of affairs. It is then perhaps the healthiest course to turn towards home.

—The cases of the men captured on board the filibustering steamer Competitor have been heard before a court-martial in Havana, and sentence of death asked for all. Inasmuch as three of these men—one without doubt—are probably American citizens, the United States Government, in the person of President Cleveland, has taken a hand in the matter, and demands that they be brought to Florida for trial. It seems, also, that they are not technically guilty, if all are really guilty, of violating the treaty under which the Spanish court demands the death sentence.

—The Transvaal volksraad, or parliament, assembled May 4, and considerable interest has been shown relative to President Krueger’s speech. That gentleman has been pronounced one of the shrewdest diplomats living, and those looking for any outbreak have been disappointed. Concerning foreign powers, the simple statement was made that the Boer republic continues to maintain friendly relations with them. As to the Orange Free state, the wish is made that a closer union be discussed. This is sufficient, of course, with the known friendly relations between the Transvaal and Germany, to cause unfavorable comment in England, whose secretary for the colonies, Mr. Chamberlain, has been outclassed on every point of diplomacy by President Krueger.

—A despatch says that 100 Chinese have arrived at Montreal via Vancouver, and are waiting for a favorable opportunity to make their way into the United States.

DOMESTIC.

—An explosion of gasoline in Cincinnati on May 4 demolished a five-story building, and buried beneath the ruins about twenty-five people. Six lost their lives.

—John T. Jones, one of the employees arrested for looting the Carson Mint, has received a sentence of eight years’ imprisonment, and must also pay a fine of $5,000 before regaining his liberty.

—By the shutting down of a large packing house in Kansas City, 1,300 men have been thrown out of employment. The main reason for this is trouble between the packing companies and labor organizations.

—The boy wreckers of a train on the New York Central Railroad a few months ago have received sentence at Rome, N. Y. The ringleader received a life sentence, and his two companions must serve forty years’ time each in the penitentiary.

—A combination has been entered into by four immense thread manufacturing establishments,—the Clark Thread Works, of Newark, N. J., the J. P. Coates Thread Company, of Glasgow, Scotland, and the Kearney and Paisley Mills, of Scotland.

—On May 7, murder-fiend Holmes, of Philadelphia, met the deserved penalty for his misdeeds, by hanging. Perhaps no stranger than other actions was his protestations of innocence at the last, in the face of confessions and boasts during imprisonment.

—Gaylord, Smith County, Kansas, is officered entirely by women,—mayor, police judge, and members of the council. This is Mrs. Antoinette Haskell’s second term as mayor, and the first term pleased so well that a complete woman’s council was elected this year.

—Special impetus has been given to the cause of woman suffrage in this state by a resolution adopted by the recent Republican convention at Sacramento, in favor of striking the objectionable word “male” from the suffrage plank of the constitution. Susan B. Anthony and Rev. Anna Shaw are at the helm of the movement at present.

—Politics are again to the front, and conventions are the order of the day. The result of the Republican conventions which are holding in the several states has been an almost unanimous choice of McKinley as presidential candidate, delegates to the national convention at St. Louis in most instances being instructed to vote for that gentleman.

—Commander Booth-Tucker, of the Salvation Army, who is now in San Francisco with his wife, says that out of 2,000 officers, only about fifty have been lost to their work by the departure of Ballington Booth from the ranks. Many of these he claims are returning. At the same time, even tho these figures be correct, a rousing reception has awaited the former commander in the popular churches wherever he has visited since his defection.