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THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUS.

Associated Press

Leased Wire Report

SIXTY-FIFTH YEAR. NO. 104.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16. 1916 TWELVE PAGES.

PRICE TWO CENTS.

Ann

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BIG TORONTO

CLUB FIRE IS

LAID TO PLOT

Wrecking of $300,000 Home

of Americans Thought

Work of Aliens.

HAD HELPED ENGLAND

Was Birthplace of Regiment

One Dead; Many Not

Expected to Live.

Toronto, Ont., Feb. 16 The $300,000

home of the American club, a social

organization of American residents in

Toronto, was destroyed by fire today.

The fire followed explosions, the cause

of which has not yet been determined,

tut the fact that the members of the

club have shown strong pro-ally

sympathies and that the 97th Overseas

Tegiment, popularly known as the

American legion, had its birth there,

caused the police and military authori

ties to suspect that the fire was the re

sult of a plot by alien enemies.

Captain Asa Minard of the Ameri

can legion was so badly injured that

he may not recover. He was sleeping

on the top floor when he was aroused

by the first explosion. He had slid

half way down a rope fastened to the

window sill when a second explosion

forced him to let go his hold and drop

to the sidewalk.

Several other officers of the Ameri

can legion who were sleeping in the

building when the fire broke out, es

caped by the rear doors and windows.

Two employes of the club were slight

ly burned.

Km c" On Is Suffocated.- - -The

interior of the building was de

stroyed and the roof fell in. The walls

are intact. The property loss was

placed at $50,000.

A man believed to have been P. I.

Hairston, formerly of Dallas, Tex., was

found suffocated just inside a window

on the third floor. Edward Johnston,

night watchman of the Mechanics' bank

next door to the American club, was

dangerously injured when he wa

struck by a chimney which fell into

the street.

The club's caretaker was picked up

in the debris in the street. His skull

was fractured and he was thought to

be fatally hurt.

FAMILY HURT WHEN

HOME IS DESTROYED

Freeport, 111., Feb. 16. Bert Gilbert,

his wife and two children were severe

ly burned and their home destroyed by

fire today when Gilbert attempted to

start a fire in the kitchen stove by us

ing kerosene. One of the children, a

girl two years old, probably will die.

CHICAGO ROUSED

AT NEW ANGLE IN

POISONER'S CASE

Chicago, Feb. 16. Police Captain

Collins today said he had received In

formation that the mineral poUon be

lieved to have caused the illness of

guests at the banquet to Archbishop

Mundelein last -week was only a sec

ondary poison, but that some other

drug was put in the soup with Intent

to kill.

Search for Jean Crones, assistant

chef at the University club, who, the

Police believe, poisoned the soup,

spread today to include a half dozen

nearby cities.

Captain Nicholas Hunt declared he

had additional evidence against John

Allegrini, who is held on a charge of

conspiring with Crones.

Fire in a locker room in the city

h(MLlt) anaWmAn nit Q Tt ATM in tb.0 Clt V

V. V. (A . IUVUb "

tall near where the samples of soup

from the University club banquet ana

the chemicals and explosives found in

Crones' room are stored as evidence

in the poison plot, was being investi

gated today as having a possible con

nection with the poison case.

The fire was discovered by the med

ical inspector in charge through the

wly hours today. The blaze was

Peedliy extinguished, the only dam-

being the scorching of the wood

work in tiie locker room. The cause

of ih firo woo nnt determined, and

whether it was due to spontaneous

wmbustion or other agencies was in

quired into.

A Itrv.Lon Lnlllo rafadline t lie Odor

' oil was found on the floor of the

!

$2,000,000 FIRE

IN NEW ENGLAND

TOWNJEPORTED

Fall River, Mass., Feb. 16. Esti

mates made by owners of property and

proprietors of stores in a section of

the business district swept by fire to

day around Main and Spring streets in

dicated' that the lotaTlosB would" be

approximately two million dollars. A

score of buildings, including the Len

ox apartment hotel, and several of the

largest retail stores in the city, includ

ing the Steiger department store, were

destroyed and many others badly dam

aged. There wras no loss of life and

no one was injured. The heaviest loss.

$500,000, was suffered by the Steiger I

Drygoods company.

A determined stand made by the

firemen in the rear of a long line of

burning buildings kept the flames from

spreading to a congested tenement

house district Residents of these

wooden tenements, frightened at the

prospect that their homes would be

lost, fled to the snow-covered streets

with little clothing.

At the north end of the burning dis

trict, a water curtain on the depart

ment store of R. A. McWhlrr & Co.

prevented a further spread. The

granite walls of St. Mary's cathedral

protected a residential district nearby.

During the Are, drug stores, restau

rants and churches were thrown open

for the relief of firemen and police and

people driven from their homes. Cof

fee and sandwiches were distributed.

The guests at the Lenox hotel were

given shelter in private residences.

POLICE HUNT FOR

CHICKEN SLAYERS

Springfield, 111., Feb. 16. Half of

Springfield's night police force was en

gaged last night in an unsuccessful

hunt for dogs which are accused of

the wanton killing of more than 200

chickens within the last week.

Owners of small flocks of chickens

in the north and east parts of town

have made numerous complaints to the

police and until two dogs were seen

leaving a yard by one chicken owner

Just after he had found 19 fowls with

their necks broken, it was thought

weasels were responsible.

Yesterday Chief of Police Morris is

sued orders sending half his night

force on a hunt for the marauders.

DAY IN CONGRESS

It

CC I TV

Discussed New land's resolution

for special investigation of rail

road legislation.

Attorney General Gregory, be

fore lands committee, denied pros

(cation of II men who entered

withdrawn lands except those who

violated the law.

Jadiciary snb-commlttee con

tinned Inquiry on nomination of

Louis D. Brandels for supreme

court Justice.

HOUSE.

Considered miscellaneous bills.

Rear Admiral Grant continued

testimony on submarines before

natal committee.

Little Italy Is

AgainActive

PoliceThink

Chicago, Feb. 16. The murder late

last night of Gennaro Scrimmento, a

jeweler, is believed by the police to

be the first step in what they style a

"murder campaign" which officers be

iie"Rrte'lua,iiguPated by a newly

organized band of gangsters and gun

men in Chicago's "Italian" district

Scrimmento was shot near "death cor

ner" which, because of the many ave

nues of escape available, has been a

favorite spot for murders which in the

past have been committed by the so

called Cammoristas.

According to the police it has been

learned that hundreds of wealthy Ital

ians have been served with demands

for money under threats of death.

In five years 179 murders have been

committed near "death corner."

FIX LIFE LOSS IN

MINE FIRES AT 21

Butte, Mont, Feb. 16. Twenty-one

men were victims of Butte's worst

mine disaster, which resulted from

the fire which broke out in the air

shaft on the 1,200 level of the Penn

sylvania mine here Monday night.

This developed this morning when

the bodies of the last six to be ac

counted for were found by a crew of

nine helmet men at the foot of the

Man-Way on the 1,200 foot level of

the mine about 1,000 feet from the

station.

Noxious gases prevented the immed

iate removal of the bodies but it was

thought probable the bodies would be

brought to the surface dulrng the day.

Fifteen bodies have already been

taken from the mine and are being

prepared for burial.

The fire, which started in the air

sheft at the 1,200 foot level, the same

level in which the last victims were

found, has been practically extin

guished. The burned air shaft has

caved in from the 1,000 to the 1,200

foot level. The fire area has been

bulkheaded but apertures have been

cut for the playing of streams on the

ruins from the higher levels.

CONTINUE PROBE

OP GIRL'S DEATH

Chicago, Feb. 16. Continuance of

the coroner's Inquest into the death

of Marian Frances Lambert, Lake For

est high school girl, poisoned in the

woods on the Cyrus McCormlck estate,

is expected today. It is believed the

inquest will not be resumed until a re

port is received from experts who are

testing poison crystals found in the

dead girl's hand, In an effort to estab

lish beyond all doubt the exact nature

of the poison that caused her death.

No new evidence of an important na

ture regarding the alleged connection

of Will H. Orpet, Wisconsin univer

sity junior, with the girl's death has

been discovered, according to the auth

orities.

ILLINOIS WOMEN

ARE DENIED VOTE

BY COURT RULING

Springfield, 111., Feb. 16. Women of

Illinois were denied the right to vote

for delegates and alternates to national

nominating conventions, state central

and precinct committeemen in a deci

sion of the supreme. court The deci

sion held that while the legislature had

thevright to give women this suffrage

it had not yet done so and it was not

within the province of the court to

write the privilege into the law.

The decision was made in denying

the petition for a writ of mandamus

filed a few days ago by J. T. Garrett

son of Springfield against Charles W.

Byers, clerk of Sangamon county to

force him to put the names of candi

dates for those offices on the women's

ballots. State's Attorney Edmund

Burke of Sangamon county filed a de

murrer to the petition in which he held

that the legislature had not given wom

en the right to vote for the offices in

question. The court sustained the de

murrer.

Chicago, Feb. 16. Officers of the

Illinois Equal Suffrage association,

when informed of the supreme court

ruling denying to women the right to

vote for national convention delegates

in the spring primary, said today that

no effort would be made by the asso

ciation to modify the ruling, as the

association wants only those voting

privileges which the law gives.

I0WAW0MAN.AGE

60, FOUND GUILTY

Winterset, Iowa, Feb. 16. Proceed

ings for a new trial or an appeal to

the supreme court will be taken at

once by counsel for Mrs. Ida Meyer,

aged 60, who late yesterday was con

victed of second degree murder on a

charge of complicity in the murder of

her daughter-in-law last July.

Mrs. ' Meyer's attorneys said this

morning they were undecided as to

which action they would take, but that

they will either ask a new trial or

appeal the verdict

District Judge Applegate is expect

ed to pass sentence on Mrs. Meyer

late this week or the first of next

week. Mrs. Meyer, said to be the old

est woman ever convicted on a mur

der charge in Iowa, is at liberty on

$30,000 bond.

BLOWN TO ATOMS

BY AN EXPLOSION

Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 16. Charles

Baker, local manager for.the Washing

ton Torpedo company of Washington,

Pa., was blown to bits today when he

entered the company's storehouse in

Olmstead Falls, a suburb, to get a load

of nitroglycerine.

Three minutes after he went into

the building 800 quarts of the explosive

kept there, blew up. The detonation

shook the countryside for miles break

ing windows, felling trees and damag

ing furniture. The building was re

duced to splinters.

2 SHIPS BURN

ATBROOKLYM

HARBOR DOCK

As Steamers Were Being

Loaded With Munitions

Ruined by Fire.

LOSS TOTALS MILLIONS

Docks and Many Small Boats

Destroyed Two Dead

Suspect Plot.

New York, Feb. 16. The British

steamships Bolton Castle and Pacific,

and a 900-foot pier belonging to the

New York Dock company at the foot

of Pioneer street, Brooklyn, were de

stroyed early today by the most dis

astrous fire on the Brooklyn water

front in years. Another steamer, the

Pallazia, was damaged, about 25 scows

and lighters, were partly or wholly

burned. Six hours after the fire start

ed the police said they had accounted

for all but two coolies, and it was be

lieved the death list would be limited

to that number. The property loss is

estimated at considerably more than

$1,000,000.

The origin of the fire Is unknown but

suspicions that it was incendiary we

aroused because of the fact that sofie

of the steamers were loading with war

munitions, some of which was intended

for shipment to the Russian govern

ment and to be delivered at Vladi

vostok. A watchman aboard the Bolton Cas

tle discovered that the buildings on

the pier were on fire soon after 1

o'clock this morning. The blaze spread

sp rapidly that the officers and crews

of the steamers ariaTignTersIyIng at

the pier, after a vain effort to prevent

the spread of the flames to their ves

sels, were compelled either to leap

overboard or to seek safety aboard oth

er lighters or tugs which hastened to

the rescue.

Jumped in Sea to Escape.

The three steamers lying at the pier

were surrounded by a fleet of about

fifty lighters and barges on each of

which was one man or more. On some

of the barges were the wives and fam

ilies of the captains. Some of them

were compelled to jump overboard to

escape the swift rush of the flames.

Firemen and policemen dragged

many of them out of the water to ad

joining pier and others were rescued

by tug boats or fire boats. ,

Captain Benjamin Smith of the Bol

ton Castle and six of his crew escaped

by crawling hand over hand on a

rope to a barge. Mrs. Smith fell into

the water, but was rescued by sailors.

All the rescued persons were given

shelter on a nearby pier.

loss Estimated at $3,000,000.

Later the estimated property loss

was placed at more than $3,000,000. A

statement issued on behalf of the

agents for the owners of the steam

ships Bolton Castle and Pacific, said

their investigation "thus far has failed

to develop any evidence which would

lead to the conclusion that the fire was

of incendiary origin."

Ship Burns at Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, Feb. 16. Investigating

is being made today by city authori

ties, officials of the Earn Line Steam

ship company and the British consul

ate to determine whether the fire

which damaged the sugar cargo of

the British steamship Dalton at a

wharf here last night was of in

cendiary origin. The loss is placed at

$100,000. The fire was the sixth to oc

cur on British steamers loaded with

sugar within the last month.

BOAT DAMAGED IN

MYSTERY ATTACK

New York, Feb. 16. The steamer

Yumuri arrived here today from Mas

corls, San Domingo, and reported

having been in collision with an un

known schooner yesterday morning,

14 miles southeast of the Five Fathom

bank lightship off the entrance to Del

aware bay.

The schooner struck the Yumuri in

the port bow, fell off and struck her

a second time. The schooner's Jib

boom caught on the fore rigging and

broke her ribs. A few davits of the

Yumuri were smashed. After the pas

sengers had been quieted it was found

that a mess boy who was sleeping in

the forecastle, was missing, and P.

Hollander, a fireman, was badly in

jured. The Yumuri remained in the vicin

ity for nearly two hours but was un

able to find the schooner. The Yumuri

is under charter to the Porto Rico

SteamfbJj) Una.

THE WAR

TODAY

Erzernm, the chief city of Turk

ish Armenia and the principal

Turkish stronghold In this region,

has been captured by the Russians,

according to a news, dispatch from

Petrograd.

"ot much attention was paid

for many months to the Caucasus

campaign, the Russians apparent

ly having small forces there. With

the appointment of Grand Duke

Nicholas to the chief command,

however, it was hinted that Im

portant developments might be

looked for. Prices of foodstuffs

continue to rise in Great Britain

under war conditions. The Janu

ary increase In retail rates is of

ficially announced to have been

approximately 1M per cent

The Germans have shifted their

offensive from the Artels and

Champagne regions in France to

Belgium in the neighborhood of

Tpres where the British are en

trenched. By a continuous bom

bardment for two days with artil

lery and by infantry attacks the

Germans drove the British ont of

their trenches over a distance of

800 yards. Berlin claims that a

majority of the defenders ot the

trenches were killed and that sev

eral dozen of soldiers were taken

prisoners. In the Artois, Lille anil

Yosges regions, the French and

Germans are still fighting artillery

engagements, but no notable gains

have been reported by either side.

Berlin claims that two British

warships were sunk off the Dog

ger Bank on Feb. 10, and that they

were of a new type, built for mine

and anti-aircraft service. The

British admiralty, however, reiter

ates its previous statement that

only one vessel was sunk.

The latest German note on the

Lusitanla is before Secretary

Lansing. All the changes suggest

ed by the American government,

except one, have been adopted in

the new draft and Teutonic officials

here believe that it will be entirely

satisfactory to the United States.

TWO ARE LOST IN

MICHIGAN BLAZE

.Midland, Mich., Feb. 16. Two per

sons burned to death and damage esti

mated at $150,000 was caused by a fire

which destroyed a block of business

buildings early today. Miss Delia Tay

lor, a milliner, escaped from her room

ing place, but later attempted to save

some of her belongings and perished,

A man who rushed into the building

and tried to rescue her, also lost his

life. The postoffice, a general store and

jewelry and shoe stores were among

the buildings burned.

Latest Bulletins

Washington, Feb. 16. A body

which may be that of American

Consul Robert ?f.Mc'eely of Mon

roe, C, who was lost in the de

struction of the liner Persia in the

Mediterranean, has been washed

up on the shore near Alexandria.

Springfield, Iil Feb. 16. Mrs.

Joanna t'orlierly of Las Vegas, X.

3L, aged o. years, look her life by

drinking carbolic acid on the steps

of the church here Monday, it was

learned today.

Galveston, Texas, Feb. 16.

Ajusco, a fortified Zapa stronghold-

was captured by Constitu

tionalist forces after a battle of

several hours, says a report to the

Mexican consulate here today.

Zapata forces suffered heavy losses.

Washington, Feb. 16, After add

ing 700,04)0 for improvement of

East river channel at 'ew York

from Governors Island and the

Battery to the naTy yard, Ihe

honse committee on rivers and

harbors today voted a favorable

report on the annual rivers and

harbors bill, aggregating $39,

69S.4I0. All new projects except

w York harbor were voted

down.

w Orleans, La, Feb. 16-The

crew of the British steamer Baron

apier, a mule ship which arrived

here today from Alexandria, Kgypt,

brought stories of a battle In the

Mediterranean on Jan. 17 between

the Baron 'apler and a German

submarine, In which the steamer

escaped.

London, Feb. 16. Great damage

has been done all over the coun

try as the result of a SO-mile gale.

Telephone, telegraph and electric

wires and poles were blown down,

farm buildings and bridges wreck

ed and railroad signal stations

demolished.

RECEIVE NEW

BERLIN NOTE

IN LUSITANIA

Last Reply From Germany,

Expected to Be Satisf ac-

, tory to America. .

COMMENT IS RESERVED

Bernstorff Refers Reports to

Lansing Who in Turn

Refuses to Talk.

Washington, Feb. 16. Count von

Bernstorff today presented to Secre

tary Lansing the latest draft of the

Lusitanla agreement, embodying

the changes suggested by the

American government and also one

change suggested by Berlin. The indi

cations were that the agreement in its

present form probably would be ac

ceptable to the United States.

When Count von Bernstorff came

from Mr. Lansing's office after a visit

of less than ten minutes he said:

"Gentlemen, I refer you to the sec

retary of state."

Almost at the same time Mr. Lansing

sent out this message:

"I have nothing to say."

Await Wilson's Judgment.

Count von Bernstorff presented for

mally the draft of the agreement and

it is understood was informed It could

not be accepted as final until it had

been submitted to President Wilson.

The indications were it seemed satis

factory to Secretary Lansing.

As now drawn and formally signed

by the German ambassador the agree

ment Is in reply to the last American

note.

Sabs Only Blockade Reprisal .

It begins with reference to the for

mal announcement given by Germany

last September that submarines would

not sink unresisting liners without

warning and regard for the safety of

life aboard and that the instructions

to submarine commanders were so def

inite as to allow no misunderstanding.

It then states that the submarine war

fare around the British Isles was a re

prisal for what it characterized as the

"inhumane" blockade of Great Britain

to starve the central powers, and then

promises indemnity for Americans lost

on the Lusitanla and expresses "pro

found regret for their deaths."

It goes on to say that the German

government "recognizes liability" for

their loss, makes the proposals con

tained in the draft submitted today

and then goes on to deal with the ques

tion of reprisals against others than

enemy subjects. The change which

the Berlin foreign office has made in

the wording of the latter proposal has

not been publicly disclosed, but from

the air of optimism which prevailed to

day there was a general impression

that the chances of its delaying the ne

gotiations were slight.

REPUBS DEFEAT

ROOT PROPOSAL

New York, Feb. 16. The commit

tee on resolutions of the republican

state convention decided by unanimous

vote today to endorse the administra

tion of Governor Whitman, but to at

tach the endorsement to a separate

plank dealing with state issues.

It became known while the commit

tee on resolutions was in session that

endorsement of former Senator Elihu

Root for the presidency was proposed

and that it became the subject of a

long argument.

Mr. Root's name was proposed by

John A. Sleicher and Henry L. Stlni-

j son supported Sleicher's motion in a

! viimrmw ntoa In whlnli ho aroniH that

Mr. Root was the logical candidate.

The matter was the subject of debate

for more than half an hour, after

which a vote was taken and the pro

posal was defeated.

THE WEATHER

Forecast Till 7 P. M. Tomorrow, for

Rock Island, Davenport, Moline

and Vicinity.

Fair tonight and Thursday, contin

ued moderate temperature with the

lowest tonight about 30 degrees.

Temperature at 7 a. m., 26. Highest

yesterday, 37; lowest last night, 25.

Velocity of wind at 7 a. in., eight

miles per hour.

Precipitation, none.

Relative humidity at 7 p. m., 75; at

7 a. ni., 80; at 1 p. m. today, 61.

Stage of water, 10 feet, a fall of .1

in last 24 hours.

J. M. SHEEIO, Local Forecaster.

' wer room.