St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 16, 1896

Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.

The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive

Page 1

3 ee 4 r 3 Fay Ara oh. Te E 3 e * 2 : > Ba * . * "nl 7 1. 2 » 7 i — i — VOL. 47. SATURDAY EVENING-ST, LOUIS—MAY 16. 1856. — 4 cy Horse * men Should Read ———ůj— the Great Racing Story in To- * TEXAS TORN BY A CYCLONE. The Dead Number 120, the In- jured at Least 150. SHERMAN SUFFERED MOST. _ Several Towns in Denton and Grayson Counties Were Overwhelmed by the Ternade. Victims at Sherman. Following is a revised list of the dead and wounded made at 12 m. to-day at Sherman: White—Dead. Mrs. Otto Billinger and three children, Mrs. Burns and three children. John Ames, wife and two children. Mrs. L. H. Montgomery and three children. The children of Rev. J. D. Akers. - Alex Pierce and wife and five children, Miss Jenkins. Lige Ceron, wife and child. Mrs. George Anderson's baby, Rev. J. D. Shearer and wife. William * * Dave Herring and two small chil- ren. Charles Weddle of Fairview, George Gray and son. Mrs. Wright Clark and two children. Reported—Three unidentified white per- ons. Dead — Colored. J. Walker. Nora Nicholson and three children. Lucy Ballinger. Sloan Ballinger. Katie King. Mrs. Ben Sodison and two children. Two unidentified babes. ' Wounded—White, Be Oe pes er es; er young- he other Mrs. ' broken, head c thought will dle before to-n est c fe expected to child will live. . ‘ die. Several children of Wright Clark, At Gray’s Hill. — Kelly, head crushed, other injuries; may die. An unknown baby, said to belon ey, named Richards, probably ured. rs. Alex. 1 to a atally Pierce, countless wounds in 5 and head: she is expected to die. John and Hiram Pierce, both badly hurt; rest of family of nine are dead. Mrs. Chishold, bad head wound, may re- cover. Jim Herring, has head wounds; will prob- ably die. rs, George Anderson, terribly wounded; re ed last night she was dead, but she at + “o> ac rs. Mau raighead and nd-daughter are 32 injured. ba 1 Otto Baldinger, whose wife and three children are dead, tained slight injuries. Ten or twelve unidentifiéd white persons. Isam Burns and one child. 4 G. R. Vice's wife and three children not dangerously; head Rev. J. D. Shearer, wh injured. * | Jesse Brown, bones broken, ‘es cru Mrs. J. B. K K . . ing and two children, slight W. 8. 423 wounded, -— W. 8. Bostwick, head wounds; may Wounded—Colored. oo hus, fatally. inte very 8 Jane Maupin, legs broken, head and body "hire, “Weslle, Patty 1 es atty is expected to di with erable ‘head and body wounds. : 2 e, head wounded. Mrs. B iene Charies Puckett. ett. Five colored, unidentified. At and Near Howe. Mrs. J. J. Joh . . — and child; un n. : Mrs. Sam H. Hendricks; ly, three . : Eigh Dead: non and child; —— Hill. Tet and members of his ®; about 25 others. } who are 7 River. ; From Justin it swept northeast through Gerald, Denton, thence to Mingo, to Gribble Springs and on to Mustang. A hundred miles was traveled in an hour. The small settlements along the line of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas north of Denton all suf- fered. Elmview was lashed and then the village of Howe. Thence it struck Sherman, the thriving county seat of Grayson, and there the great- est destruction was wrought. The southwest end of Shermdn received the full force of the storm, and the city resembles “a hospi- tal. The list of dead and wotnded which ap- pears above is necessarily imperfect. Later reports will no doubt greatly augment it. SHERMAN, Tex., May 16.—A few minutes before 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon a cy- clone not exceeding two blocks in width, but carrying widespread destruction and death in its wake, swept through the west- ern half of the city, traveling almost direct- ly north. The approach of the terrific whirl- wind was announced by a deep rumbling noise not unlike thunder. A fierce and driv- ing rain accompanied it. The clouds were parted at the lower side, converging into a perfect funnel shape, while a seething mass of vapor rapidly re- volved in the rift. The air was suddenly filled with trees and twigs, and the down- pour of rain brought with it a deluge of mud. From the point where it seems to have first descended to where it suddenly arose from the ground just north of the city, it left terrific marks of its passage. Not a house in its pathway escaped; not a tree or shrub is left standing. The iron bridge on Houston street was completely wrecked and blown away, notwithstanding its hun- dred thousands of pounds of steel. At least fifty houses were totally wrecked. Most of them were small cottages, except in Fairview and Washington avenues, where the handsome residences of L. F. Ely, Capt. J. C. Salter, Mrs. Pat McKinney and Jam Falls also succumbed. The loss will reac at least $150,000, and ‘but little if any of it was covered by cyclone insurance. A vacant store room on the north side of the court plaza and another on the south side and the court room were transformed into an impromptu morgue and hospitals for the wounded down town, while every residence left standing in Fairview was filled with wounded. Hundreds of ladies responded to the call for help and with a score of physicians were soon at work. The cries of the injured were mented A agonizing shrieks of those who, passing from corpse to corpse, at last found some loved one, a husband or wife, son or daughter. supple- The total number of injured will reach 150, the total number of killed outright at Sherman and other points in the country, ag far as can be learned, is about 60, and it is estimatea that Bt eos that many more are The path of the storm, Which passed west of town, was through a section of country which has no telephone or telegraph connec- tion with the city. A great many inquiries for lost rsons. are being made, over 100 being —— by the police thus far. Physicians from Van r McKinney and Denison are here in numbers: also uurses from all of these cities. Later reports show that Mrs. J. J. Johnson and child were killed four miles west of Howe, twelve miles southwest of this city. Mrs. m Hendricks, who lives near them, is fatally injured. A fam- ily by the name of Connor, consisting of — old lady, her son and daughter, cannot ve. ’ The most miraculous escape learned of was the case of the family of Capt. Ely. Their home, a roomy brick structure, was razed to the ground and but for the oppor- tune presence of some heavy timbers stand- ing upright in the debris, and which shel- tered them from the avalanche of brick and stone, they would have all perished. As it eran. Only. one member, a little girl, was ru 0 At the Court-house a public meeting raised about $3,000 for the immediate wants of the suffering, and the permanent relief com- mittee, consisting of C. H. Smith, C. B. Randell, C. B. Dorchester and Col. George Murphy, will take donations. It is distinct- ly stated that donations from points outside of Grayson County will not be received. Denison has responded nobly, and nurses and physicjans from that city are here rendering great assistance. All railroads running into the city placed special trains at the disposal of the local authorities and brought help from all neighboring cities. A waterspout accompanied the cyclone and the creeks are all out of their ks. Telegraph ang telephone poles were torn up and driven into the ground. Another storm of @ similar nature passed about six miles west of the city at about the same hour. Several houses were blown down and many persons were injured. Reports from the north indicate that the direction ot the main cyclone which trough Sherman was between Denison and Pottsborough. The width of the storm has varied. It maintained a breadth of about 150 or 200 yards through the entire county. Between Sherman and the river no fatali- ties have been reported, although there are unconfirmed rumors of a number of houses being blown down. CYCLONE NEAR DENISON Many Persens Killed and Isjured in an Iselated Region. Special to The Post-Dispatch. DENISON, Tex., May 16.—At the seme hour of the tornado at Sherman, Tex., yes terday evening a tornado swept over the northeastern portion of Grayson County, ten miles from Denison, and great damage was done. Only very meager detalls are at to the effect that there were three storms, all traveling in the same general direction and all of terrific fury. Each came from the South and moved directly north and in every instance destroyed crops, vegetation, n and animals that were in its east of ison the Turley and every member of i of — RS Bates SS pees J ö in the Indian Territory, north of the Red } famt Turley iy J hand. The best information obtainable 16 KILLED HIMSEL FOR A WOMAN. Suicide of W. E. Berkley, an East St. Leuis Book-Keeper. NO ONE WITNESSED THE ACT Berkley Went te Work Early and Was Found Dead by His Fellow-Clerks When They Arrived. W. E. Berkley, the bookkeepér at Elliott’s Frog and Switch Works, in East St. Louis, committed suicide Saturday morning by shooting himself through the brain with a revolver. ö ; | Berkley was one of the best known young men in East St. Louis, and had been in the employ of the Elliott Co. for the past 12 years. He moved in the best circles of so- ety and counted his friends by the score. He was a single man, 41 years old. For the past four or five years he had made his home with City Comptrollér Wm. P. Did- lake, at 812 Summit avenue. According to Mr. Didlake, Berkley left for work at an unusually early hour on Saturday, but had said or done nothing that would lead any one to Suspect that he con- templated taking his life. From his room on Summit avenue he walked to the frog shops, a distance of about one mile. Nothing Strange was no- ticed in his actions. He was the first one to enter the office. About €:30 Charles Givens, a fellow clerk, came to work and after moving about the office had occasion to opensa door leading toa narrow flight of stairs that connected with the second story of the office building. He was horrified to find the lifeless body of Berkley lying in a pool of blood and a 44-caliber revolver at his side. Givens at once gave the alarm and the workmen of the shops ran into the office, but nothing could be done, as it was ap- parent that Berkley was dead. Undertaker Kurrus was notified and had the body. removed his undertaking es- tablis treet. ö 8 reporter saw William a son of the proprietor, at the He is the cashier of the works and said that Berkley had been a model em- ploye, and that no motive except perhaps a despondency resulting from not having Sonn in the best of health might be consid- ered. monty Elltott, the proprietor of the works, spoke in the highest terms of Berkley. He said in the most emphatic manner that Mr. Berkley’s accgunts were ta good shape and that he had always been faithful in the performance of his duties. He also could assign no motive for the rash act. From another source it was learned that Berkley had for the last few months been rete ae | infatuated with Mrs. L. Jackiesch and the fact that she did not reciprocate his affections was assigned by some of his friends, as a motive for the suicide. Mrs. Jackiesch denied that anything more than an acquaintance and ordinary friend- ship had existed between her and the dead man, and said she could assign no motive. Mrs. Jackiesch is a most estimable lady, and if Mr. Beckley was infatuated with her she claims tha? no cause was ever given y her. Berkley at the time of his death carried a policy for $38,000 in the Modern Wood- men of America, and was a member of sev- eral other secret societies. He has a brother living in California, Kan., and a sister at Los Angeles, Cal. They were notified of the untimély end- ing of their brother, and the funeral ar- rangements will nod be made until they are heard from. THE WEATHER. Showers Saturday Night; Pair Sunday; Stationary Temperature. Weather Bureau forecast: For Missour!—Showers to-night;, probably fair Sunday; stationery temperature. For Illinois and Indiana—Showers to- night and Sunday; stationery temperature. The storm, central in the Southwest Fri- day, has moved to Eastern Kansas, causing general and heavy rains over Eastern Kan- sas, Missouri, Eastern Nebraska and West- ern Illinois. Arlington, Mo., reports 3.04 inches; Springfield, Mo., 2.36 inches; Her- mann, Mo., 2.10; Boonville, Mo., 1.89; Oma- ha, 1.74; Kansas City, 1.52, and St. Louis 1.16. Lighter rains have also been genera over the remainder of the Mississippi and Missouri Valleys. 4. It remains cool in the Rdcky Mountain region and Northwest, bein but little above freezing; 1 ee me | Below in Cen- tral Wyoming. No marked change has oc- curred in other sections. 7880 Sanaa e H ee ee rr = — * nnen — — —— — “I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.” M’KINLEY (to the dog): CONVENTION OF FILLBY-HATERS. Cel. Comfort and col. Frank A UNANIMOUS GATHERING. The Twelfth District Republican Bolt- ers Organize With a Committee All Their Own, The Kerens-Comfort faction of the Re- publicans of the Twelfth District held its little side show convention at Addingten’s Hall, Seventeenth and Olive streets, Satur- day morning. The object was to elect two delegates to the National Convention, two members of the State Committee and nominate a Presidential elector and a candidate for Congress. g It is a continuance, of the Kefens-Filley fight, the details of which are familiar to politicians. The Filley contingent claims to have already legally elected William M. Horton and Joe Kletsker members of the State Committee, and Charles Parsons and Councilman Uthoff as delegates to the Na- tional Convention. a Each faction claims that the other crowd are bolters. The fight in the Twelfth Dis- trict dates from the split in the District Committee some time ago. Comfort had it fixed to roll Chairman Foerstel and ob- tain a majority of the committee. But Isaac Bristol and Al Wagenmann, who were supposed to be anti-Foerstel, disappointed Comfort, and Comfort was himself re- moved from the committee and a successor as secretary elected. Since then both fac- tions have claimed to have the only Simon- ure committee. »'The Comfort faction contend that the primaries and convention of the Foerstel crowd were irregular and illegal, the pri- maries not having been held under the auspices of the lection Commissioners. The hope of the Comfort faction is that in the contest which will be carried into the National Convention their delegates will be seated and Parsons and Utho unseated. o’clock the clans began to gather. N was early on the scene and was as active as a grasshopper. Marcus Strait, who has beena malcontent since he lost his job as Supervisor of Sprinkling, was on hand and so were Charlie Comfort, Marshall MeDonal! and the other k the faction. * Robinson, official stenographer of the Coroner, was there to take a verbatim report of the proceedings. Mr. Robinson was strictly non-committal as to who en- gaged him, but the presum tion is that he was there ap Rigas = Pay official report for ned contest. the (oar D. A. Pareira, chairman of the committee, called the meeting to order. He went into a History of the split from the Comfort standpoint and then gave way to Truman A. Post, who had been selected for temporary chairman. Theodore C. Ashcroft was temporary secretary and read the call. here were no contests and a Credentials mittee was dis sed with, the dele- holding certificates of election from „ One on each the thirteen urnment was ) Selected as Delegates, “oy tat —— 1 recommend thé adoption ‘of coinage of silver. Following is the plat- form: “The Republican poate of the Twelfth Congressional District, in convention as- sembled, congratulates the people that the end of Democratic rule is near at hand, and that prosperity will again soon, under a Re- ublican administration, bless this country. e favor the American doctrine of pro- tection to labor and demand a return of the country to that policy. We make an em- ——— demand for the improvement of the ississippi River in order that a sufficient channel shall always be open to the com- merce reat stream. We d N ve the la t t plan improvement of the rivér advoekted by the Merchants’ Exchange, of St. Louis. We declare that the interest of all the people demands that every dollar, paper or coin, issued by the Government shall be as f as any other dollar aud therefore ap- pose, 2a — of international agree- ment, the free and unlimited coinage of sil- ver. The money of the United States should be as good as the best in the world. „We admire the Hon. William McKinley as an able, patriotic and true American and the delegates elected by this convention ate directed to cast their votes for William Mc- ‘Kinley for President of the United States.“ The convention then proceeded to elect two delegates to the national convention, Nathan Frank was elected by acclamation. George Wagoner placed in nomination Charles D. Comfort, and he, too, was elect- ed by acclamation with equal enthusiasm. Paul Hebert, a colored delegate’ from the Second Ward; Thomas A. Arnold, who was heralded as an old soldier; David Pereira and Chris Schoenhardt were placed in nomination as alternates, but Mr. Pereira withdrcw. The election resulted in the choice of Thomas A. rnold and Chris Schoenhardt. Arnold will be the alternate appeal- for Nathan Frank and Schoenhardt for fed to the Brotherhood, and it, taking up his Comfort. Nominations for a candidate for Congress being declared in order Nathan Frank placed in nomination Maj. Charles E. Pierce, who, he said, “would spurn to wear any man’s collar or any man’s hat, be it pearl white or mud brown.” This reference to the Filley hat was received with derisive applause. Maj. Pierce was elected by ac- clamation. He is a lawyer. For Presidential elector Gen. Nelson A. Cole was the only nominee and he was elected unanimously. Nah A new Congressional Committee was then elected as follows, one member from each ward in the district as follows: First Ward—Daniel E. Reedy. Second Ward—Andrew F. Brown, Third Ward—J. F. Cummings. Fifteenth Ward—August Becker. ö Seventeenth Ward—E. J. L. Ingram, Nineteenth Ward—W. W. Howard. Twentieth Ward—Geo. R. Wagoner. Twenty-first Ward—Henry J. Allen. Twenty-second Ward—W. V. Wolcott, Twenty-third Ward—A. W. Remnitz. Twenty-fifth Ward—Henry Ehrhardt. Twenty-seventh Ward—R. H. Cornell. Twenty-eighth Ward—Henry C. Diedrich. A resolution was adopted whereby th nominee for Congress was allowed to ad three committeemen of his own choice to the committee. The committee was empowered to fill all vacancies which might occur and the convention adjourned. MURDER SUSPECTED, — — — — * A Prominent Tennesseean Disappears Frem Sight. Special to The Post-Dispatch. _ NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 16.—Mr. Neatly} Avereth, a prominent citizen of Houston County, Tennessee, is mystériously miss- ing. He is the head of an extensive stave factory located at Erin. He was last seen Tuesday - when he had considerable money about his person for the purpose of paying off his employes. Murder js suspected and diligent search is being made for his body, TEMPLE HOUSTON ACQUITTED} — he IS y J je . —— Nr 2 * OFFICIALS IN. Report of Impending Trouble Grewing | _ ‘to occur on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas. BIG STRIKE ON THE M. I. & 1 * The Brotherhood's Threat to A . a .* 9 +. * re : * 4 1 %* - +4 f | — ö ö Out of a Refusal to Reinstate Engineer Lanam. Dispatches from Denison, Tex., indicate that trouble of a serious nature is likely Railroad. A strike is apparently anticipated in which all the railway orders will partici- pate, and completely blocking business. The Brotherhood of Railway Engineers is said to be at the bottom of the trouble. Several months ago Engineer Will Lanam was discharged owing to an accident for which he was held responsible. He fight, demanded his reinstatement. This the district superintendent and an. —— was taken to the offices in St. Louis. A committee came here and conferred with General r Purdy and Assistant Manager Arthur, but without avail. The road vely re to 2 — 4 8 the action ot the district superintenden ype tomy to the telegraphic information the matter was further agitated by the Brotherhood, with the result that the Griev- ance Committee authorized this public statement: a “You can state officially that — — neer Lanam is reinstated inside * wheel on uri, Kansas & for the fight, that is one of the p and when there is any charge ph say a word. u elty. * ' If such were the case it rious business for the ul in such terms that the road accept them. It is denied, headquarters that any such been received or that wy MA has agitation of the matter e the tee’s visit here. mean se- Manager Purdy was not seen ments. all the o Is tter since 8E 8 fei 7 U é ’ I 2 N 4 (> 4 : 7 1517 * + typewritten pane them tot j t say that cae atatenionte 12 signed the I have no disposition an interview en, ¶ — 6— — — — — FO Ge) © ager tee wet ey Oe. FS “ep ere. AeA. mt ” 8 2. 0 er. * * trom Uncle Fine 7 ewrit guess I 1 de re it gets out of ‘ ee oe my p ed for @ « ils. ce “ . * — 9 word in this interview „ ¢ — 14 * — 2 — ne gla 7 a * Far a