The Lawton Constitution (Lawton, Okla.), Vol. 12, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1914 Page: 1 of 8
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1
Publicity Is
Greatest
Moral Force
In World.
THE LAWTON CONSTITUTION
VOLUME XII—NO 40.
i LAWTON, OKLAHOMA, THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1914.
WEEKLY EDITION
Live News On
Every Page
In Every
Column.
ARE MUDDLED MEDIATORS;
STARTING POINT IS HARD
J.
U. S. Continues War Preprations; Mexi-
cans Heap Insults and Injuries on
Americans in their Power
FORT SILL, APRIL 29.-THE NON-COMMISSIONED STUDENTS
WHO HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THE SCHOOL OF FIRE AT FORT
SILL, WERE ORDERED TODAY TO JOIN THE COMMANDS OF THE
ARTILLERY BATTERIES NOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 6. THEY WILL PRO
CEED ON FIRST TRAIN.
WASHINGTON, D. C., APRIL 29.—THE MEXICAN CRISIS NOW
IS CENTERING ON THE ISSUE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE
SEEKING THROUGH THE GOOD OFFICES AND INTERMEDIATION
OF LATIN-AMERICA TO FIND SOME MIDDLE GROUND FOR PACI-
FIC ADJUSTMENT AND THOSE WHO REGARD A RESORT TO ARMS
AS AN INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT HAS OCCURRED.
Throughout yesterday two distinct
branches of activity were manifest
here—that of the envoys of Argen-
tine, Brazil and Chile in formulating
a plan of adjustment to be submitted
to the United States and the fiuerta
regime, and that of the military and
naval forces of the United States,
which continue to go forward steadily
in preparation for any eventuality
which may develop. The arrival of
General Funston and a brigade of 5,-
000 troops at Vera Cruz was one of
the notable military developments of
the day. m
Chief interest was directed to the
session of the South American envoys
lasting through the day and late into
the evening, where seated about a
long mahogany table the three en-
voys deliberated much as an interna-
tional court would weigh a case of su-
preme importance.
Si* Americans Reported Killed.
VERA CRUZ, April 29.—An uncon-
firmed report was received h^e yes-
terday to the effect that six Ameri-
cans had been taken from the jail at
Cordoba and killed and also that an-
other American had been put to death
at Cosamaloapan, a town about sixty
miles south of Vera Cruz.
Neithi Pear Admiral Fletcher nor
Consul Canada had what they then re-
garded as conclusive evidence as to
the executions of the Americans, but
they are investigating the report.
A train which left here at 7 o'clock-
Tuesday morning with the expectation
of meeting a refugee train from Mex-
ico City returned later not having
found a train waiting at the gap in
the railroad.
The officials on board were unable
to get information as to the probable
time of the arrival of the expected
train from the capital.
Senor Obregon of Mexico City, who
was passing through Vera Cruz from
Tampico on the way to the capital and
went out on the train from here, re-
mained at the break in the track. He
desired to go to Cordoba in order to
deliver representation from Consul
Canada to the officials at Cordoba on
behalf of the prisoners being held
there.
day afternoon and talked to the pris-
oners, among whom are several he is
acquainted with. They begged him to
communicate their plight to Consul
Canada and Rear Admiral Fletcher in
an endeavor to secure their release.
The prisoners are herded like cattle
and jeered almost constantly either by
the keepers or the Mexican inmates
of the jail. They are permitted to
have food and drink only when the
whim suits the jjiilws, ind are kept
in a state of terror by frequent
threats of death.
Among the prisoners is a young
Arrerican woman with a 4-months-old
infant. There are several other wo-
men anil children, ai d ihs total num-
ber of all nationalities, according to
Mecnling, is 8.
One of the imprisoned men is Su-
perintendent Emory of the Vista Her-
mosa sugar plantation, of Vera Cruz
state, who entertained John Lind,
President Wilson's repreesntative, a
few months ago.
Mechling says there are eighty-sev-
en persons, chiefly Americans, held at
Tuxtepec, state of Vera Cruz, from
surrounding .plantations and that Con-
sualr Agent Wite is in jail at El
Hue, near Tuxtepec.
NEW YORK, April 29.—That the
Republic of Mexico has fulfilled her
international obligations and will de-
fend at any risk the "right trampled
underfoot by the government of the
United States," is the substance of a
"able message signed by Huerta print-
ed' in the New York Times, who
sought to elicit his attitude upon the
pending mediation program.
been put on a military basis, and day
and night the big school farm is
patrolled by farmer boy sentinels.
The boys in the night schools, busi-
ness colleges, and even private
schools, are being drilled by orders of
the "president." Not a few of the pro-
fessors in those schools have resign-
ed their positions rather than become
offiers of the army. The professors
who remain may often be seen in the
boulevards of the capital drilling un-
der the instruction of a real army in-
structor their boy students. Little
chaps as tender in years as 10 may be
seen in these groups learning how to
cary their rifles and how to ma-
neuver at the orders of a professor-
captain.
The law students have been formed
into a brigade of their own. Two or
three of the leading law instructors in
Mexico have resigned their positions
because they felt they had been hu-
miliatd by the demand that they be-
come a part of the Mexican army.
Huerta s order extended to every gov-
ernment office in the capitil and every
day on^ some of the many drill
grounds around the capital some com-
pany of white-handed, tender-footed
young clerks may be seen hiking or
swinging guns in the hot sun.
It was several months ago that
Huerta ordered that the four thous-
and city policemen in the capital be
outfitted with rifles, organized on a
military basis and drilled daily. There
is nothing in the world milder than a
policeman in the City of Mexico, and
the idea of being converted into sold-
i -s did not appeal to them, especially
as it didn't mean any increase in
•alary. There was some talk of a
strike and it was even said that, in
retaliation, the police force had join-
ed a plot against Huerta, but those
projects died down and now any day
companies of policemen carrying
rifles and ammunition belts and look-
ing exactly like soldiers may be seen
marching away to some suburban
drill ground. All of those "soldiers"
which Huerta has gained by militariz-
ing the government departments .he
school and police, ha- c yielded him an
increased force of perhaps five thous-
and fighting men in the capital. And
the beauty of it ic, they don't cost him
anything aside from expense of uni-
forms and rifles, for they receive no
army wage cr rations.
IS A REBUKE TO
ROCKEFELLER
SENDING OF U. S. TROOPS INTO
COLORADO COAL MINING
FIELD.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 29—
Following a lengthy series of confer-
ences, a generrl discussion in the
cabinet' and a conference yesterday
afternoon between President Wilson
and Secretary of War Garrison, the
President ordered federal regular
troops immdiately to proceed to the
strike zone ol Colorado and lestore
order.
At the same time President Wilson
prepared a proclamation, which has
been telegraphed to Colorado and
which will be published there immedi-
ately, calling upon all persons to lay
down their arms and repair to their
homes.
The proclamation, which is in effect
a reading of the riot act, by the fed-
eral government, will be enforced by
six troops of cavalry.
Secretary Garrison has sent the or-
der to the cavalry now at Fort D. A.
Russell, Wyoming, and other forts in
that section.
Answer to Rockefeller.
The dispatch of the troops will be
the answer of the Administration to
the refusal of John D. Rockefeller to
make a single concession to end the
industrial warfare.
Some of the mines are expected to
shut down indefinitely after the regu-
lar troops get there. Just which w'V
do so or the real reason therefor no
one here knows.
203 MINERS ENTOMBED;
SLIGHT HOPE FOR THEM
Shafts are 600 Feet Deep; Three of the
Four Shafts are Wrecked; Onljf
Few Rescues Have Been Made
J'( CLES, W. VA., APRIL 29—ALL HOPE FOR THE RESCUE OF
^ MINERS ENTOMBED BY, AN EXPLOSION TLESDAY IN
MINES NOS. 5 AND 0 OF THE NEW RIVER COLLIERIES COMPANY
HERE, WAS ABANDONED LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. .RESCURERS
WERE UNABLE TO FORCE THEIR WAY INTO BURNING SHAFTS.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 29—
American civil government, under
martial law was set up in Vera Cruz
at 5 p. m., yesterday with Robert J.
Kerr, lawyer, of Chicago and Mexico
City, as civil governor.
ROCK ISLAND, 111., April 29—
Five carloads of •mmunition, 3,000,-
000 rounds in all, were shipped from
the government arsenal yesterday to
San Antonio, Texas, to be stored in
the arsenal there. Col. G. W. Burr,
commandant at the local arsenal here,
said he was gradually increasing the
working forces.
Executes Insulting Mexicans.
NEW ORLEANS, La., April 29—
W. C. lbs, of New Orleans, a cattle-
man just returned from Mexico, said
yesterday that Gen. Villa within the
last week had executed four Mexicans
for insulting Americans. A Mexican
who jabbed his revolver in lbs' ribs
was among those shot.
Mexicans Tortue Americans.
VERA CRUZ, April 29.—Sleeping
on the stone flagging of the jail patio,
with insufficient f'.od, no sanitation
and threatened nightly with assas-
sination by drunken jailers, is the ex-
perience of the Americans and other
foreigners, inclnuding women and
children, confined at Cordoba. Their
release has been promised by General
Maas in reply to a request from
American Consul Canada through a
messenger who returned to Vera Cruz
Tuesday.
W. H. Mechling of the Geological
Survey of Canada, who h$s been for
some time in Mexico in behalf of the
universities of Harvard, Pennsylvania
and Columbia, spent two days at Cor-
doba. He was detained, but not put
in jail, and finally was permitted to
proceed here as an Englishman,
though he is in reality an American.
He went to the jail in Cordoba Sun-
Mediafors At Work.
WASHINGTOI, D. C., April 29—
"We can only say that we are hope-
ful, Publicity now might spoil it all."
Statement from A. B. C mediators,
trying to settle the Mexican problem.
''The sky seems clearing; mean-
while, we are getting our people to
safety."—Secretary of State Bryan.
That was the Mexican situation
yesterday. Mediation had passed the
initiative stage. Each side has ac-
cepted the proffer of the three great
South American Republics.
The mediators are now in touch
with Bryan here and Huerta in Mexi-
co City, waiting for their simultane-
ous proposals or demands. This will
constitute the second step.
Then will come the real wofk—that
of reconciling admittedly opposite
propositions. On success here all de-
pends.
TEN ACRES OF
STRAWBERRIES
Dr. J. E. Turner has recenly com-
pleted putting out 12,000 strawberry
plants on his ten acre place southeast
of town. He is putting the most of it
out in strawberries and a little in oth-
er small fruits, but it will be practic-
ally ten acres of strawberries. He
went to Arkansas and secured the
plants. Mr. Turner has plenty of wat-
er and is fixed to irrigate his ten acre
farm, and it will be watched with con-
siderable interest.
Government Ownership Of Mines.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 29—
Government ownership and operation
of the Colorado mining property own-
ed by the Rockefellers was proposed
in a bill introduced yesterday by Rep-
resentative Bryan of Washington.
It directs the President as com-
mander in chief of the army to use
■troops to "restore order and respect
for the law," and then authorizes the
attorney general to institute con-
demnation proceedings to obtain the
stock held by John D. Rockefeller and
his son with such other stock neces-
sary to obtain full control. The bonds
are to be taken over in the same man-
Four miners are known to be dead,
fifty-nine were rescued, many of
them severely burned and 203 others
are entombed in two burning mines
and are believed to have but a small
chance for their lives as the result of
an explosion of gas in mines No. 5 and
No. 6 of the New River Collieries
company here yesterday afternoon.
The dead and rescued were taken
from Mine No. 6, and it is said all but
thirteen of the miners who entered
the shaft early yesterday have been
accounted for. One hundred and nine-
ty of the entombed men are in shaft
No 5, not a man having escaped from
this oiteration since the explosion at
2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
mine is burning fiercely with govern-
ment, state and volunteer rescuers
working desperately last night to sub-
due the flames.
The depth of the two main shafts is
six hundred feet and the mines are
connected under ground. There are
two other shafts into the mines, but
the explosion totally wrecked three
out of the four. The remaining en-
trance leads into mine No. 6, and by
means of it the rescues were made.
No 5 mine apparently is completely
shut off from the surface and rescuers
hold little hope of reaching the large
number of men in time.
i he explosion occurred in mine No.
5. The two shafts of this mine were
demolished. It is believed the explo*
sion traveled through this mine into
No. 6. One shaft of the latter mine
was wrecked but the other remains in-
tact and was the salvation of at least
fifty-nine of the workmen.
This little mining community of
1,500 persons was shaken by the muf-
fled rumbling of the explosion which
brought women from their cottagcs
in a panic and started the entire popu-
lation not a work to the tipples of
the ill-fated mines.
NEGRO CHILD IS
BADLY WOUNDED
DOWELL ESL1CK, WHO DID THE
SHOOTING ESCAPES; SHERIFF
MX AFTER HIM.
The President is authorized to op-
erate the mines at cost, paying 3 per
cent on outstanding stock.
DEATH ANI> FUNERAL.
Richard Slatker, (colored), 72
years of age, died Sunday at his home
on B avenue. The funeral was held
yesterday afternoon and he was bur-
ied at the Lawton cemetery.
COAL LANDS TO
PAY GROSS TAX
SO SAY SUPREME COURT OF
OKLAHOMA IN A RECENT
DECISION.
Carranza-Yilla Conference.
CHIHUAHUA, Mex., April 29—
Conferences between Gen. Francisco
\ ilia, Gen. Venustiano Carranza and
Gen. Felipe Angeles, leaders of the
Mexican Constitutionalists revolution,
regarding their attitude toward the
difficulties involving the United States
and Huerta were held Tuesday. Villa,
Angeles, Col. Luis Aguirre Benavides
and other members of Villa's staff,
reached here late Monday night and
went immediately to Villa's home.
Villa conferred briefly with Carranza
Monday night regarding questions
of state, but postponed the principal
meeting until Tuesday.
Huerta Using School Boys.
THE CITY OF MEXICO—To "be
a school boy in Mexico these days
means to be a militiaman. Huerta is
rapidly militarizing every group of
men in every walk of life that he can
clap his attention on.
Three months ago the National Ag-
ricultural School, in the suburbs of
the capital, was a quiet, easy-going
institution with its thousand students
gathered from the farms all over the
land, paying attention to nothing else
than agriculture. Today it looks like
a barracks. The professors have been
converted into captains, majors and
lieutenants, and they wear military
uniforms in the class rooms. The stud-
ents have all been put into soldiers'
uniforms and have been supplied with
rifles, which they are forced to use in
practice. Life in the dormitories has
OKLAHOMA CITY, April 29—The
several acts of the legislature pro-
viding a gross production tax on coal
taken from segregated Innds in the
Chickasaw an*] Choctaw nations, as
well as from other lands in the state,
are upheld in an unanimous opinion
of the state supreme court handed
down Tuesday ir. the case of the state
against the Mr Alester-Edwards Coal
company and other corporations. The
conclusion reached in this case are
practically the same as were applied
in the opinion of the court in the case
of the Indian Territory Illuminating
company ■? 'iich was handed down in
March of tni3 year.
NEW BABY AT SNOWHILLS.
Alvin Snowhill, of the Snowhill
garage, is so proud today that he will
hardly sepak to his friends, all on ac-
count of a fine baby girl that arrived
at his house last night. Mother and
baby doing nicely.
Carranza Won't Talk.
< arranza was notified by telegraph
from El Paso and- Washington Mon-
day night that Huerta had consented
to accept the mediation proposition
proposed by Argentine, Brazil and
Chile. The rebel "first chief" declined
to make any comment on the proposi-
tion. He is still without official infor-
mation regarding the plans of the
Latin-American alliance.
According to an official dispatch
from Gen. Pablo Gonzales to Carran-
za, Constitutionalist forces under
Gonzales which occupied Monterey
Sunday followed up their advantage
by following and defeating the feder-
als on the road to Saltillo. The fight
occurred at Garcia, thirty-thir • miles
southwest of Monterey. The federals,
retreating from Garcia, left great
quantities of supplies and all of their
artillery.
A report has reached Carranza that
Saltillo has been occupied by Gen.
Francisco Cos and h column of Con-
stitutionalists frcm the state of San
Luis Potosi. This is not officially con-
firmed.
County A ttorney T. B. Orr, who
accompanied Sheriff Nix to the scene
of the negro shooting, about twenty-
five miles northwest of Lawton, re-
turned last night.
He stated to the Constitution that
the name of the negro doing the
shooting is Dowell Eslick, and that
he is married and also has a mother
in that section.
After shooting at Bill Morgan at u
great distance and hitting him in the
leg and also severely wounded a child
of Morgan, Eslick rode his horse
across a field and took to the timber
afoot. He also returned the rifle that
he had borrowed to do the shooting
with. If he was armed, now, it was
with a pistol. Eslick is said to be a
bad nigger" and can run like a deer
as he has been known to catch jack
rabbits on foot.
Morgan and his child were treated
by Dr. Myers and then brought to
Lawton, where they are under the
care of the county authorities.
A portion of the child's jaw had to
be removed and it is badly wounded.
Morgan's wound is painful, but not
dangerous.
Eslick had gone to Morgan's to
take some harness belonging to an In-
dian, and Morgan refused to let him
have it. This is said to have been the
only reason known for the shooting.
Sheriff Nix is remaining in the sec-
tion of the shooting, looking for Es-
lick, with the aid of farmers there.
Logue C hapel, M.E.Conklin, teacher.
Ida Merry, grade 89, age 13, India-
homa, M , Nellie Gillam, teacher.
Ermine Dotson, grade 89, age 16,
Mountain View, C. W, King, teacher.
Fourth, Tressa Wiseman, grade 87,
age 17, Messing, Mrs. E. D. Bullard,
teacher.
Lillian Waid, grade 87, age 11, Dis-
trict No. 14, J. H. Harrison, teacher.
Fifth, Odell Palmer, grade 84, age
. 16, Beaver Bend, C. Rybplt, teacher.
Dixie Millican, grade 84, age 15,
Selway, Ada L. Bear, teacher.
Sixth, Harold Christcngen, grade 83,
^ge 9, Hillside, Mrs. Laura Ginn,
: teacher.
| Marie Bowman, grade 83, age 15,
( Blue Beaver, Miss Virgie Poor, teach-
; er.
Seventh, Donavon Brunskill, grade
81, age 13, Elgin, John H. Wilhite,
teacher.
Mary Alice Daugherty, grade 81,
age 13, Hillside, Mrs. Laura Ginn,
teacher.
Eighth, Fred Reisch, grade 78, age
15, District No. 18, Miss Ella Hasen-
beck, teacher.
Ninth, Anna Yowell, grade 72, age
13, Indiahoma, Mrs. Nellie Gillman,
teacher.
Lillian Range, grade 72, a. ^ 12,
Chattanooga, Miss Jewell White,
teacher.
Tenth, Bert Bowman, grade 71, age
14, Blue Beaver, Miss Virgie Poor,
■ teacher.
jINDIAN HOSPITAL WORK BEGUN
Work has been started on the hos-
COUNTY SPELLING CONTEST.
APPRAISING INDIAN LANDS.
Messrs. Rob. Campbell, of Anadar-
ko, and T. M. Bixby, of Lawton, aided
by a representative of the Indian
agency, aer at work appraising the
Indian lands in this section. Their
headquarters will be at Lawton for
several days, from where they will
make trips to see the land.
This spelling cotest was held at the
high school, Saturday, April 23rd at
1 p. m. About thirty districts were
represented. The contest was written
—100 words taken from the New
C ommon Sense Speller. The test was
a difficult one, even for grown ups.
Only pupils of the Eighth grade or be-
low could enter.
Especial mention is due Harold
Christensen, only 9 years of age, who
ranked sixth on the list.
The prizes offered were:
First prize, $3.00, City National
Bank.
Second prize, $2.00, Dr. D. A. My-
ers.
Third prize, $1.00, Jones Bros.,
Druggists.
The best speller in the county was
also offered by the county superin-
tendent, a free trip to Oklahoma City
to enter the state spelling contest to
be held May 19th.
Winners—Ten Best Spellers.
First, Lola Palmer,grade 98, age 13,
Beaver Bend, C. Rybolt, teacher.
Second, Bettie Funson, grade 94,
age 15, Messing, Mrs. E. D. Bullard,
teacher.
Third, Ray Hall, trade 89, age 16,
[pital at the Fort Sill Indian school.
About a dozen teams were put to
work today on the excavating and the
work will be rushed in order that the
hospital may be ready for the fall
term of school. Mr. Young of Min-
neapolis, Minn., is in charge of the
work.
FORMER LAWTON CITIZENS.
Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Meadows have
received word from their daughter,
Mrs. Oliver Powers, that she and her
husband had arrived at Bixby, Ari-
zona, from Mexico. They had only-
time to gather a few articles of cloth-
ing when they left Cananea.
DIVORCES GRANTED.
Divorces were granted yesterday
evening to the following persa.ns in
district court: Osha Phillips from
Curtis G. Phillips, grounds of aban-
donment; Mrs. E. C. Swisher from Ed
Swisher, abandonment; Kate Tritt
from H. C. Tritt, abandonment.
%
NO JURIES.
The district court commencing in
May, will not have any juries on ac-
count of lack of funds appropriated
for that purpose for the fiscal year.
The county court is also short of jury
funds.
J. D. Taleaferro, of Duncan, is
busines visitor in this city today.
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The Lawton Constitution (Lawton, Okla.), Vol. 12, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1914, newspaper, April 30, 1914; Lawton, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc128563/m1/1/: accessed April 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.