The Topeka State Journal (Topeka, Kansas)
February 7, 1898

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 Library of Congress

Page 1

3 Jtliffilif lttur! flp if h'4'. TWO CEXTS. 3IOXDAY EYEXIXG. TOPEKA, KANSAS, FEBRUARY 7, 1898. MONDAY EVENING. TWO CENTS. A V v y The People of Kansas Do Not Want Thousands of Dollars "Wasted in an Extra Session, Called For Political Effect and Nothing Else. IT INVITES DEFEAT For the Governor Who Calls It and Makes Easy Sailing For Republicans in the Coining Campaign. EVER HEADY BLUNDER To Which Populist Management is So Subject Seems Now About to Be Com mitted Again. Some person lacking greatly In polit ical judgment seems to be in charge of the line of policy of the Populist state administration. The proposition to call the legislature together at this late Jay, will meet with a loud and energetic protest from all the people of the state regardless of party, who hate to see the public money wasted on a session of the legislature that there is absolutely no public de mand for. No one, except he be a politician, cares anything about a special session. If any apparent desire for a special ses sion should be worked up, it will be because one set of politicians thinks it will help them politically and another thinks it will hurt the other fellows. From vigorous protest, the people will pass to angry indignation, and Gov. Leedy will be turned down with such a resounding thud by the voters that iie will scarcely recover his breath for some years. The people don't want an extra ses sion of the legislature. No possible move of the administration cvuld result in making it more unpopular. Already, hardworking Republicans who had begun to realize that the cam paign was to be a close one. are begin ning to smile broadly and ease up on the strain of the. contest. They rea lize that the enemy's general is about to turn the Hank of his forces to the tire of their guns, and before the can nonade is over, they will have the "triune" party in full flight. As shrewd Populists have put it Gov. Leedy's policy of letting the prosperity of the business ami material interests of the state make his campaign for him was doing good work but with that great capacity of doing the wrong thing at the critical moment which charac terizes so many Populist leaders, he is now about to open his mouth and place his foot in it. The public naturallv savs. "If vour legislature couldn't pass suitable rail road legislation a year ago. and be came a nest of corrupt boodlers why convene it again? The same influences that prevailed then will prevail now and the result will be the same Republicans are rejoicing and well they may. for the calling of the session of the legislature by Gov. Leedv is a clearing away of the clouds that seemed" to hover about the chances of Repub lican success. All good Republicans ought to ha'l .Leed" s Proposed move with loud sccia l m. REPUBLICANS DELIGHTED. Gov. Leedy Fighting Their Campaign for Them if He Calls the Legislature. How the Republicans regard th pro posed call of the governor for a session frU'thSeng: ",ay be "hered T. F. Doran said: "This is another fool break on the i f U,,e. PVpuIisls- The legislature would fail to do anything if it were in session all the time. Leedy's action will elect the Republican ticket ne-.t fall A. Dana, said: "A legislature is something to be deplored at almost any time, but a special session for the pur pose contemplated by Gov. Leedv would be a great mistake, not only to the p-o- pe- lut,; him- Leedy makes a fatal mistake. Maj. Wm. Sims: "There is not so far as I am able to discover, at the present time an emergency which demands an extra session of the legislature There are times in the history of states when extra or special sessions would be bene ficial and profitable, but such a condi tion, in my opinioh, does not exist in Kansas." Mayor Charles A. Fellows: "The Re publican state committee will not need to open headquarters in Topeka this spring. Leedy's action will furnish all the material necessary to elect the Re publican state ticket next fall. The ex pense of a session would lie very large AVe cannot afford it. and it would be useless if held. The action of the gov ernor with reference to a special ses sion should be condemned by every c;t Izen of Kansas. His own partv cannot consistently endorse it because" the leg islature went as far last winter as Leedy wants them to go now The scheme savors of demagoguery." fT,J r Gleed, general attornev for the Frisco railroad in Kansas, said- Two-thirds of the railroad mileage or this state does not more than pay operating expenses. A good deal of the mileage does not begin to pav operating expenses. A little pays interest on its' assessed valuation, and a few hundred miles possibly, pay interest upon as much as twice its assessed valuation. These facts have been demonstrated bv the reports of the state board of rail road commissioners and bv the court records of those roads which have been in the hands of receivers. So long as there are about 6,000 miles of railroad that do not more than pay operating expenses that pays no interest on the investment whatever, and so long as there is no railroad in the state that pays interest on what it would cost to reproduce the property even on the present cost of building and equipping it is hard to see any justice in attack ing the railroads or reducing .rates of transportation. The action of the gov ernor will not meet the approval of the people of Kansas." Cyrus Leland said: "Leedy is indulg ing in some more political buncombe, but this is the most gigantic effort he has yet made to fool the people. The bill which he now proposes and promul gates as an imperial edict is but little different from that which he vetoed. That bill, as I remember it, gave the commissioners power to do all these things. "Every man in Kansas knows that there is no demand for a special isession of the legislature to enact railroad leg islation. Leedy has not acted in re sponse to the demands of men who ship the freight in Kansas. The biggest yawp comes from those who do not ship a pound. The idea of such men influ encing a governor to call at $75,000 ses sion of the legislature is too preposter ous to receive consideration by the peo ple. "There is no emergency calling for a special session of the legislature. The state treasury has been compelled to stand a deficit which the Populists caused in increasing the expenditures and decreasing the revenues. Where will the money come from to pay this expense? From the people, of course. Then they are entitled to a voice in saying whether or not a special session should be held. They have been given no such opportunity. The governor has summoned the members of the legisla ture to his office and labored with them with the hope of securing the passage of a rantankerous, unjust and terrific railroad law, but they have refused. He now takes advantage of the situa tion by publicly unloading his own weakness upon the members, asking honest men to come to a session of the legislature and acknowledge that they were wrong and that he only is in the right. The men who opposed Leedy have as much right to their opinion now as they did a year ago, and no self-respecting man can retain his manhood and integrity by now responding to the crack of Mr. Little's whip beg pardon the governor's whip. The plan pro mulgated by the governor is bun combe." Judge A. B. Quinton said: "Legisla tures as a rule may be denned as nui sances. If the law permitted them to meet but once in five years, I think it would be better for the state." A Democrat in the pension office who cannot talk for "publication." said: "The calling of the legislature will be the last service over the remains of the Populist administration. Leedy has some show of re-election, but if he pro poses to jam a special session down the throats of the people and compel them to dig down into their pockets to foot the bills, there will be a just revolt." SYNOPSIS OF THE BILL. Which. Gov. Leedy Wants the Extra Session to Pass. The following is a more extended syn opsis of Governor Leedy's railroad bill which he intends to call the legislature together to pass, than was given Satur dav: The bill provides that the rates and classifications in force on all roads in Kansas December 31. 1S0T. shall be the highest rates to be made until revised. It provides that during the months cf April. May and June the board shall devote their attention to a careful in vestigation of the schedules in the same and hearing everybody who wants to tell them anything about it. during which time they shall make and issue to every road a schedule ot tne rates and classifications to be established on that road hereafter, that the road shall have 20 days to come back and file pro tests and explanations: that on the first of July of every year the board shall issue a. schedule to each road which shall be the highest rates that the law allows to be charged in the state of Kansas thereafter; that it provides that at any time upon complaint of any shipper they may investigate his com plaint and determine to what redress he is entitled. It provides that of their own volition at any time they may go and investigate any business of a rail road and give a decision as to whether it shall be changed. It provides that in order to accomplish these things the board of railroad commissioners shall have the same power to subpoena wit nesses, to bring parties in to court, to compel testimony, to make orders and decisions and to enforce them, that a district court has; that their rulings shall not be reviewable in any district court of the state, but only in the su preme court. It requires every sheriff and other officer to carry out their or ders, just as if they were from a dis trict court. It provides that the board may select an assistant attorney gen eral for the board, who shall bear the same relation to them that a county at torney does to a board of county com missioners and to a district court: that when complaints are filed he shall ap pear to prosecute them as the county attorney would a criminal action, thus saving the poorest shippers the expense of an attorney which they can't meet; that he shall of his own volition insti tute investigations before the board or by their orders do so, just as a county attorney might. It provides that the costs of these actions shall go against the losing party and the state shall pay those of the complainant except in case he files a malicious action. The bill provides that there shall be an appeal to the supreme court of the state only, but that every appeal shall be filed in the supreme court within 90 days from the decision, and that these appeals shall have precedence of all civil cases in that court and shall be heard at the first term of the supreme court after they are filed. The board under this bill will have the same power to make rate schedules for the railroads and to enforce them that a district court has to make any decision. The board of railroad commissioners will no lonarer be a justice of the peace court. Their attorney will relieve them of the em barrassing position in which they have been placed of being both prosecutors and judges. The bill provides that vio lations of the bill or of the orders of the board shall be misdemeanors and that railroads and their representatives shall be punished therefor by fines of as high as S5.0U0 and by imprisonment in case of the persons themselves. Any ship per who has to pay more than legal charges can recover the same in any competent court and. a reasonable at torney's fee. COST OF EXTRA SESSION". It Would Take $40,000 Out of the State Treasury. The cost of the legislature for the first ten days of the last session, which includes the payment of the mileage and per diem, was $20,000. The whole session cost nearly $50,000. Estimating that the cost will reach the low average of $10,000 per week, the four weeks' special session, or thirty days session would cost the state $40,- CContinued on Sixth Page.) ZOLAVTRIAL It Begins Today in Paris As size Court. Hundreds of People Surround the Building. POLICE ARE MASSED. To Secure Order as Riots May Result From Excitement of the Popu lace Before the Trial Ends. Paris, Feb. 7. The trial of M. Emile Zola, who is being prosecuted by the government as a result of the letter which he wrote last December to theAu rore, strongly reflecting upon high offi- EMIL cials connected with the Dreyfus case, opened today in the assize court of the Seine. The most keen public interest was manifested in the case. Hundreds of people surrounded the court, anxious to gain admittance. The police measures taken to secure order were most rigor ous. The crowds increased in number all the morning. The arrival of Henri Rochefort was the signal for shouts of "Vive Rochefort" and counter cries of "A Eas Rochefort." Turning in the direction of the hostile cries, M. Rochefort shouted: "It would seem that with four of you at five francs apiece, the Dreyfus syndicate will not be ruined." AI. Zola, who arrived in a carriage shortly afterwards, was greeted with vehement shouts of: "Conspuez Zola!" (Spit upon Zola.) An individual who shouted: "Vive Zola," was promptly hustled and sup pressed. The proceedings commenced at 1 p. m. under the presidency of M. Dele gorgue, who announced that the court would be cleared if there was any dem onstration. Although the court was thronged, quiet was maintained owing to the ac knowledgement that a company of guards had been placed at the. disposal of the judge to preserve order. While the jury was being selected, M. Zola entered the dock. He was pale. A few cries of "Vive Zola" were promptly suppressed by the vigorous protests of the majority of the audi ence. After the reading of the indictment, the advocate general explained that the charge was strictly limited to the passage in M. Zola's letter, denouncing the Esterhazy court-martial. Continuing, the advocate general sail it was imperative to permit the pro ceedings from wandering and thus play ing into the hands of the accused whose aim it is to get a revision of the Drey fus affair by a circuitous route. The court decided to allow the ac cused to call evidence in support of the other charges contained in his letter, including the accusations which he made against Col. Paty du Clam and Generals Mercier, Boisdeffre, Billot and Pellieux. M. De La Bourit rerad a number of letters of excuse including one from the minister of justice. M. Darlan, announcing that the minister for war. Gen. Billot, had not received the authority of the cabinet to testify. M. Deigorgue also received a letter of ex-President Fierier saying he could not testify except as to facts subse quent to his presidency. Col. Paty du Clam was then called and refused to testify. M. La Bourie urged the importance of his testimony adding that unless the court ordered the witness to testify he might be compelled to demand an ad journment until the next sessions. Counsel also said he was not prepared to oppose a secret trial if it was abso lutely necessary. But continued M. Bourie, the allegation that the matter they were discussing was connected with state secrets and the national de fense, was a mere joke. The advocate general thereupon pro tested against the national defense be ing called a joke, to which M. La Bourie hotly replied that he would not permit anyone even the admiral general to cast suspicion on his patriotism. (Cheers.) The hearing of the case was ad journed at 5 p. m. There were no sen sational incidents. jj ZOLA WILL SPEAK. He Will Address the Jurors When the Time Comes. Paris, Feb.7. M. Zola said today that he awaited his trial without fear of the results. He will address the jury as will also his counsel, M. Labori. M. Clemenceau would, he said, in spite of efforts the authorities might make to curtail the trial, address the jury, rep resenting the Aurore the paper which published M. Zola's attack, and which is a co-defendant in the suit. He hoped, he said, that these speeches would throw much light on the Dreyfus case. Several prominent anti-semites have issued an address to "all Frenchmen" in which they declare that "the people will take the,law in their own hands if the friends and upholders of Dreyfus and the traducers of the army organize a demonstration," and say they rely on the jury in the Zola case to deal with them. EVIDENCE SUPPRESSED. Zola Says He Has a Good Case but is Not Allowed to Present It London, Feb. 7. David Christie Mur ray, the novelist and playwright, had a column interview yesterday with Emile Zola, which is published today in the Daily News. ZOLA'. Zola, it appears, was anything but hopeful of the outcome of his trial, and said: "We know everything about the Dreyfus case, but it is impossible to de scribe the pressure to impose silence upon the men who are able and ready to reveal the truth. Our documentary evidence is not even looked at and our witnesses have refused to testify, or have been ordered to be silent. The facts are clear and absolutely beyond denial, but the authorities refuse to al low us to produce our evidence and then hold up the feebleness of our cause to the derision of the public." KANSAS SALOON WAR. D. C. Milner Gives His Impressions in a Chicago Paper. Chicago, Feb. 7. D. C. Milner has writ ten the following letter to the Times'Her ald: The people of Kansas are engaged in a great struggle with the lawless liquor forces of the United States. Eighteen years ago the people by their own vote made prohibition part of the organic law of the state. During the last week there was a meeting at Topeka of the State Temperance union for the special purpose of stirring up sentiment for the advance ment of temperanc e and the enforcement of law. Among the speakers at the meeting was Bishop John H. Vincent, one of the most noted and honored citizens of our coun try. The only reference to this great con vention in the papers of Chicago was a telegram yesterday morning stating that Bishop Vincent urged a "crusade against chewing gum." It was evidently meant by the one who sent the dispatch to try to ridicule the work of the convention and was an insult to the good people en gaged in the work of reform. Bishop Vincent made a dignified and able address, discussing the need of main taining the majesty of the law and urg ing the agitation of the question of tem perance in connection with daily life. He incidentally referred to the chewing gum habit as illustrating the need of care in the formation of habits. Kansas is simply trying to do what En glewood and Evanston are laboring to accomplish in the protection of the home from the saloon. In one case it is local option by the state and in the other by the city or ward. Is it not a significant event that the last Chicago grand jury, after calling attention to the fact that the saloons are the breed ing places of crime, declared that "the regulation, not to say the obliteration, of the saloons would cause an enormous saving in county expenses and the lessen ing of public taxes"? Kansas in its conflict with the saloon power is suffering like Chicago from rec reant officials who forget their oaths of office, and instead of suppressing vile places wink at their outlawry. D. C. MILNER. Warrants to the amount of $6,111.50 were issued in favor of Shawnee county by the auditor of state today. This is in pay ment of the county's bill for the care of insane- unable to find accommodations in the state asylums. CETTINGBRISK. Offers of Money and Real Es tate Coming In. Mr. C. J. Devlin Gives 500 Cash Down. HIS OWN PREFERENCE Is For the City Park, But is Not Particular. Mrs. Sells-Greenspan Offers 1, 000 Acres Near Garden City. The interest in the auditorium ques tion still keeps up. The objection to the site of the old rink near the Edison Electrical Ligh ting have not been removed and cannot be for the noise made by the machinery is so deafening in the evening that a speaker could not be heard 50 feet away No offer for the donation of some oth er up town site or even for this site has yet been made, and the association is preparing to commence the work of raising subscriptions to build the audi torium in the City Park or some better location if donated. The latest offer is in the shape of a proposition from Mrs. Sells-Greenspan to donate 1,000 acres of land seven miles from Garden City to the Auditorium as sociation in the event that the auditor ium is located at City Park. Mr. Greenspan said: "The land is worth at least $6 an acre and we will give the Auditorium association a deed to it as soon as we are assured that the building will be placed in the City Park." Banker John R. Mulvane has made an offer of 80 acres of Wabaunsee coun ty land toward securing the location at the corner of Seventh and Jackson streets. The Auditorium association may soon be compelled to open a real estate of fice. What is needed more than any thing else is money. There must neces sarily be some delay in disposing of real estate. Please do not offer land, unless it can be converted Lnto money readily. CITY PARK OF THE FUTURE. Mr. H. L. Dunlap Speaks of the Im provements. Mr. H. L. Dunlap, proprietor of the New York Mercantile store and father-in-law of Mr. W. H. Davis, president of the Parkhurst-Davis Grocery com pany, has some very good ideas on the auditorium, site question, Mr. Dunlap said today: "If the people of Topeka want a pret ty location for the auditorium and one of the most central locations that can be found they want to erect the build ing in the city park. It will be the means of making that portion of the city one of the prettiest in Topeka. "An auditorium shou'-d be surround ed with sufficient ground so that two or three thousand people might congre gate about it without interfering with traffic of any kind. This would be the case at the city park, but at none of the uptown sites. It would be in easy reach of the Union Pacific and Rock Island roads, and as near the Santa Fe depot as probably any of the uptown sites that could be decided upon, and this is a strong point in. favor of the city park as the location. "The people of Topeka must remem ber that the city is bound to grow, and some day the bluffs of the north side of the river will be handsome residence properties. If the Auditorium is built in the city park a beautiful river front can be built by narrowing the channel of the river and this example will un doubtedly be followed by the property owners on the other side. The river fronts could be extended at no great expense from the Kansas avenue bridge to the Rock Island bridge, and the nar rowing of the channel would provide a beautiful stretch of water for beating purposes betwen the two bridges. Con sidering all the circumstances, the fact that the expense of the purchase of ground will be done away with, that several thousand dollars will be avail able to start the building fund, and that it can be made one of the prettiest spots in the city, I am unable to under stand the opposition to the city park as a site for the auditorium. "I know the cry has been raised that the sewer empties at the center. It would be very easy indeed to- run the sewer as far as it was thought best along the river bank east, and the expense would be small. "We find that in every large city some of the best public buildings are situated alongside of the water. The Houses of Parliament in England are right on the banks of the Thames, and there is no cry there that the sewerage emptying into the river, as it does near the parliament buildings, is offensive." THE EIGHT SORT OF TALK. Location Discussion Should Not De feat the Whole Proiect To the Editor of the State Journal: The terms of my subscription and of other proposed subscriptions to the auditorium fund have been misunder stood. Profoundly impressed with the im portance of such a building in Topeka and also with the fact that the task of raising sufficient money both to pur chase a suitable site and also to erect and furnish a suitable building would be utterly hopeless, my subscription was made to the building fund, provid ed a site was donated either by the city or by any other party. If another site other than that of Riverside park is donated, which is more accessible and nearer the center of population, then so much the better, and our subscriptions will apply to a building on such other site. What Topeka most needs is an audi torium. Its precise location is a mat ter of small importance, provided a do nated site can be had which is fairly central and accessible. What is most to be feared now is that the question of location is being pushed to the front as a convenient refuge for those who seek an excuse for giving nothing under any circumstances. NORRIS L, GAGE. MR. DEVLIN GIVES $500 And His Personal Preference is for the City Park as a Site. Five hundred dollars In cash for To peka's auditorium. This is the amount subscribed to the fund by Mr. C. J. Devlin, president of the Mt. Carmel Coal company. The subscription was made for the auditorium unconditionally, regardless of where it might be determined to erect the building, but Mr. Devlin sta ted that personally he was decidedly in favor of the City park as a site for the building. This is the largest subscription re ceived so far for the auditorium fund. It was secured by Mr. Edward Wilder late Saturday evening, and was given by Mr. Devlin without a moment's hes itancy. In pledging the amount Mr. Devlin said: "I am in favor of the auditorium un conditionally, and will give this amount toward the fund for its erection regard less of the site decided upon. Topeka needs an auditorium probably more than any other improvement, and I want to see one built within this year. Per sonally I am in favor of placing the building in the City park. By erecting it there the expense of purchasing ground is done away with, and you also have a considerable amount to start with. There is more ground for the building there than in any other central location in the city, and Jt can be set far enough back in the park so that the noises of the street will not be audible in the interior of the building. This, I think, would be a great drawback to a building on any of the uptown sites. While I want to see an auditorium no matter where it may be built, I would much prefer to see the City park de termined upon as the site for the build ing." Mr. Devlin has at all times been iden tified with the movements for the bet terment of Topeka. He stated not long ago that it was his intention to make the bulk of all his investments in the future in Topeka, and inside of the next two months will commence the erection of a handsome office building at the corner of Eighth and Jackson streets. His subscription of $500 to the auditor ium fund marks him as one of the fore most promoters of Topeka's welfare. LOTS OF SITES. Mr. P. G. Noel Makes Some Sugges tions Full of Wisdom. "While unable because of his illnes3 to take any active part in the auditor ium agitation, Mr. P. G. Noel is great ly interested in the matter. He says that above all things Topeka needs an auditorium and should have it within the year In speaking on the question of a site for the building Mr. Noel said today: "It seems plain to me that in the dis cussion of an uptown site none other than the southeast corner of Seventh and Van Buren streets has been men tioned. There are at least 100 uptown sites that I think are more preferable to this corner, and that can be secured at as low a figure. If we are going to build the auditorium up town why not get tip a competition on the site. "For instance, what's the matter with any of the other three corners at Sev enth and Van Buren streets. To me any of the three would be better for the building than the southeast corner. And what's the matter with the Veale corner at Seventh and Quincy streets. There is a central location for vou. This thing of getting the. impression that there is to be but one "site for the building is all foolishness. Get up a competition on the sites, and competi tion will have the same effect in this particular as it has in all others, a re duction of the price. Personally I am in favor of building the auditorium up town, but I am also in favor of making the best investment possible for the city." NOW THERE'S TROUBLE. Auditor Fagan and County Commis sioners Encounter the New Fee Bill. Auditor Fagan and the board of coun ty commissioners are wrestling with the first set of reports since the new fee bill went into effect, and there is no end of trouble. Auditor Fagan first encountered Pro bate Judge Dolman, who demands that he be allowed his salary of $65 a month under the old fee bill, in addition to the fees. Mr. Fagan holds that he is entitled only to fees and not to the salary under the old law. Another point of difference is with Sheriff Cook. He claims a fee of $1.50 a day for attending the probate court, but Mr. Fagan holds that he is to be allowed only lor opening court on the first day of each month and when he is called in by the probate judge. The justices are still claiming fees for issuing warrants and subpoenas, which Mr. Fagan holds they are not entitled to. BEATS EMPIRE EXPRESS. Santa Fe Makes Extraordinary Time Between La Junta and Dodge City. The Santa Fe east bound limited train No. 4 made a remarkably fast run between La Junta and Dodge City yesterday. This is the piece of track over which General Superintendent Madge intends to run a train at no far distant date with the expectation of breaking the world's record for speed. The train left La Junta at S:50 a. m., five hours and five minutes late, and arrived at Dodge City, 202 miles away, at 12:37 o'clock, having made up 43 min utes in that distance. This was an average running time of 53.5 miles per hour. No special arrange ments were made for fast running, and the usual stops were made. This is faster time than is made by the Em pire State express on its trip from New York to Buffalo. Engineer Parr, with engine 382, and Conductor Helm, were in charge of the train. The train was made of five cars. New Bank at Larned. The city of Larned, Pawnee county, is to have a new bank. Its charter was filed in the office of the secretary of state today, and it starts with a capi tal stock of $7,500. It will be known as the "Moffett Bros. State bank." and the directors named are A. B. Moffett, A. H. Moffett, A. C. Moffett, David Bardick and J. M. Cummins. The charter of the J. H. Moilarr Manufacturing company was filed with the secretary of state to day. The capital stock is $1,000, and its purpose is the manufacture of "collap sable" boxes. Thief's Bold Stroke. This morning at 4 o'clock a man threw a stone through the sidie plate glass window of the jewelry sore at Fourth and Railroad streets which was formerly owned by H. S. Montgomery. The stone broke a large hole in the glass, and through this the man reached and took four watch cases. It is pro bable that the burglar boarded the east bound Santa Fe train, which arrived soon afterward, as a man was seen running toward it. A policeman heard the crash of the glass, but when he ar rived the burglar and watch cases were gone-. The Kansas City police were notified. LIKE TINDER The Great Wooden KotelsAIong the Beach Front At Atlantic City, N. J., Are Burning. Academy of Music, Bryn Mawr Botel and Board Walk Devoured by the Flames Which Are Beyond Control. Atlantic City, N. J., Feb. 7. A big fire is raging on the beach front. It broke out at 8:45 o'clock this morn ing in the Academy of Music, a large frame structure located between New York and Kentucky avenues on the beach. This was destroyed in a few minutes and the Bryn Mawr hotel was also de stroyed. By 9:30 a. m. the flames were far from being under control. The board walk was on fire and is still burning. The entire block, bounded by New York and Kentucky avenues on the east and West and Pacific avenue and the beach on the north and south, contain ing dozens of big hotels and dwellings, is in danger of being burned. LATER The fire which originated in the Academy of Music this morning de stroyed a half block of buildings entail ing a loss of about $65,000 before being got under control. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Officer Robinson discovered smoke issu ing from under the board walk in front of the Academy of Music. A general alarm was sent in, but before the en gines arrived the Academy of Music was enveloped in flames. The fire spread to Lapres confectionary store, and then communicated to the rear of the Bryn Mawr hotel. The flames quick ly spread to Bacharach's furnishing store, Rutter's school of phrenology, Myers' photograph gallery, the Gold Mine bath houses. Smith's rolling chair establishment and a portion of the Vit ascope parlors on the board walk. For a time it looked as though the Berkley hotel, the largest hostelry on the avenue, would surely be destroyed. The rear of the hotel adjoined the burn ed buildings, and the stiff westerly wind fanned the flames toward the big house. Several lines of hose were run out the hotel windows and the side of the build ing and surrounding property was thor oughly drenched. The guests in the Berkley hotel hurriedly packed their clothing and prepared for a hasty exit, but the wind shifted at this time, and this alone saved the hotel. The floor of the big board walk for a distance-of half a square was so badly damaged by the flames that it will have to be rebuilt. The heaviest losers are Academy of Music, $30,000; insurance small, owned by Joseph Fralinger. Lapres' confectionary store, $5,000. Gold Mine baths, $4,000; owned by S. S. Mervine. Stewart McShea, household goods, 000. Bryn Mawr hotel, $10,000. Bacharach's furniture store, $1,000. Owins to the fact that the property destroyed was all beach front biulding?, there is very little insurance, the in surance companies refusing to take the risks except at very high rates. The Academy of Music was destroyed by fire in 1893. JOINTISTS GROW MERRY At the Expense of the Religious Ele ment of Topeka. It is said that the Topeka jointist who hung out a sign during the State Temperance convention that "Out of respect for the State Temperance union this saloon will be closed today and to morrow," has issued a call for all To peka jointists to close their places of business on Sunday morning from 10:?,0 to 12:30 in order to allow their patrons, and also the bar tenders, to go to church. When asked about it one To peka jointist said with that well worn phrase as an introduction, "i'ou know I am not running a joint and do not know anvthing about it but I went to church the other day and I saw several bar tenders there and, well, quite a crowd of our regular patrons. I do not think that it is necessary ior us to ciusj for two hours on Sunday morning as we close at 6 o'clock in the evening on Sunday and that gives the bar tenders and patrons a chance to attend the "i. P. S. C. E. meeting and the evening services." Another jointist said: "I don't know who it was that hung out that sign, but whoever it was he has not said anvthing to us about closing Sunday morning. We, of course, would be glad to accommodate our patrons and would close if they demanded it in order to give them an opportunity to go to church." SALE OF KANSAS CENTRAL. Decree Wasn't Entered Today as An ticipated for Reasons Not Yet Ascertained. Judge Sanborn of the United States circuit court of appeals was to have been in Topeka today to enter the de cree on the foreclosure of the Kansas Central railroad but he did not come. Clerk Sharitt of the federal court went to the depot to meet him and every thing was in readiness for the formal recording of the decree. N. H. Loomis received a telegram Sunday from Judge Sanborn inquiring whether he had received a copy of the proposed decree and Mr. Loomis an swered that he had not and this fact may be responsible for the delay. The entering of the decree is a formality necessary as a preliminary to the sale. It recites the terms upon which the road is to be sold. DECLARED INSANE. L. J. Youngberg Will be Returned to the Asylum. L. J. Youngberg, the tailor, was to day declared insane by a jury in the probate court. He was ordered taken to the Topeka insane asylum. Young berg was adjudged insane last year and confined in the asylum a few months. He was released and pronounced cured. He has been growing worse of late and a Bucidal mania developed. He is said to have been drinking heavily which has aided in the ruin of his mind. His wife swore to the complainf before the probate judge. Youngberg is 50 years of age. During the trial in the probate eourt today Youngberg burst into tear and said he wanted to be taken somewhere where he could receive care.