The Gotebo Gazette. (Gotebo, Okla.), Vol. 11, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 2, 1912 Page: 2 of 8
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FORTY-TWO DEAD I my no nasi mamii
TWENTY TOWNS IN PATH OF
TORNADO .
ONE HUNDRED INJURED
PROPERTY LOSS WILL RUN INTO
LARGE FIGURE8
Reports Received Early Monday Ars
Meager, But Enough Known to
Make It Certain That Vielta-
tion Waa Disastrous
Oklahoma City. — Approximately
forty-one lives are known to have
been sacrificed to the storm king s
wrath Saturday afternoon when a tor-
nado of unusual magnitude swept
through northern Texas and the state
of Oklahoma. The injured list will
exceed one hundred. Fully twenty
towns suffered. The property loss
cannot be estimated. Several other
deaths are reported but not confirmed.
Following are the names of the
dead procurable from the various
points:
At Lugert—Mrs. Lee Stansland, Miss
Eve Stansland.
At Butler—William McKenzie, three
Smith children, five others names
anknown.
At Hinton—Van Valkenburg, small
boy.
At Calumet—P. B. Thompson, Mrs.
P. B. Thompson, ■— Griffith, in-
tant
At Cordell—Mrs". Prank Parman.
At Sentinel—Mrs. Ash, wid-
ow, 5-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Lee, and grandson of Mrs.
Asn.
Up to an early hour Sunday night
no word has come from the towns of
El Dorado, Warren, Martha and Blair,
all four of which were Saturday re-
ported to have suffered severely.
It waa not known Saturday night
that the towns of Butler, Foss, Korn,
Sentinel, Colony and Hinton had been
atruck. News to this effect was re-
ceived from Arapahoe early Sunday
afternoon. Rescue parties were sent
out from Arapahoe in automobiles
early Sunday and they report that the
towns of Butler and Foss literally
were wiped out
The heavy wind waa accompanied
by a terrific downpour of rain and In
many instances hail. The fall of rain
amounted to from one to five inches.
As a result ail of the smaller streams
in western Oklahoma are on a ram-
page. The Rock Inland bridge over
the Cimarron river, thirty miles south
of Enid was washed out. All train
are being detoured.
The two branches of Elk creek,
west of Hobart, have joined and the
stream is over a mile wide. A farm-
er's family of four, names unknown,
are said to have been killed. High
water prevents rescue parties from
visiting that part of the country. All
rural telephone lines are down.
All of western Oklahoma seems de-
moralized and it will be several days
before anything like an accurate esti-
mate of the property loss or list of
the dead and injured can be secured.
Mrs. Roy Pierce, whose marriage to the son of Henry Clay Pierce, the
oil' magnate, has been annulled, has gone to Europe, and it is said she will
wed a well-known French nobleman. Mrs. Pierce was Miss Betty Chapman.
Recover Two Hundred Bodies
MANY BODIES OF TITANIC DISAS-
TER VICTIMS ARE FOUND
BODIES AFLOAT FOR MILES
RECOVERED BODIES TAKEN TO
HALIFAX, N. S.
Medical Opinion Is That Death Was
Instantaneous in All Cases
Owing to Pressure When
Down in Vortex
New York.—Two hundred and five
bodies of the victims of the Titanic
disaster have been picked up at eea
by the cable steamer Mackay-Bennett
and are^being brought back to Hali-
fax. N. S. The cantata of the Mackay-
Bennett confirms the identification of
George D. Widener, son of P. A. B.
Widener of Philadelphia, In a wireless
dispatch today to the White Star lino
and gives the further Information that
the majority of the bodies will never
come to the surface of the sea.
Captain Larner of the Mackay-
Bennett sends word through the Cape
Race wireless station that the steam-
er has been drifting in a fog since
soon yesterday. He does not Indicate
when he will reach Halifax. Bodies
are floating upon the sea many miles
east and west in latitude 47.35 north
and longitude 48.37 west, says the
wireless.
The following dispatch was received
by the White Star line through the
Cape Race wireless station:
"Drifting in dense fog since noon
! yesterday. Total picked up 205. We
brought away all embalming fluid to
be had in Halifax, enough for seventy.
"With a week of fine weatlier I
think we could pretty well clean up
relics of the disaster. It is my opin-
ion that the majority will never come
; to the surface."
Another wireless dispatch from the
Mackay-Bennett says:
"Bodies are in latitude 47.35 north
longitude 48.37 west extending many
miles east and west. Mail ships
should give this a wide berth. Med-
ical opinion is death has been in-
stantaneous in all cases owing to
pressure when bodies were drawn
down in vortex."
The White Star line Friday re
1ceived another list of identified dead
) from the Mackay-Bennett.
1 In the previous list there appeared
the name "Nihilsedig-RbatL" In ths
check off list this name is separated
to Nahil Schadid, and "L. Butt." After
an examination of all passenger lists
the officials have been able to find
only one Butt, that being Archibald
Butt, President faffs military aide.
There is also a "W. Butt" mentioned
in the wireless from the Mackay Ben-
net, bet It la stated that tUa is the
body of a member of the crfw. Ir
consequence, the opinion is adrancee
that "L. Butt" may be Major Butt.
Afraid of Collapsible Boats
TITANIC DISASTER CAUSES
STRIKE OF OLYMPIC CREW
Oklahoma Cyclone Damage
Foss, Okla.—Ten persons reported
dead: 25 or 30 injured; town badly
tom up.
Sentinel, Okla—Two persons re-
ported to have been killed and great
damage done to property; fifty
houses being blown away.
Hobart, Okla.—Country west of
this point visited by terrific winds.
Two persons known dead, four others
reported dead; several injured and
great damage to property.
Horn, Okla—Town torn up, but no
loss of life reported.
Lugert, Okla.—Two deaths; five fa-
tally injured and score less seriousfy
burt. One store building left stand-
ing. I
Rocky, Okla.—bne dead, half of j
town blown away; upward of dozen
injured.
Colony. Okla—Indian agency build-;
lag wrecked; no deaths or injuries re-
ported.
Reports of numerous smaller cy.
clones received from Minco, Yukon.
Mulhall and points in Garfield county,,
south of Enid.
Childress, Tex.—Eeven dead; great
property loss.
Guthrie, Okla—Portion of town in-
tndated by big rise in Cottonwood
river, thirty houses washed a way; i
railroad fc>*£ge out.
Tulsa. Okla—Verdigris river out of'
beaks; Frisco track washed away: oil j
tanka blown down; immense property
damage; Katy bridge near Wagoner
•■L
Butler. Okla—No deaths reported,
many injured and many buildings*
blown down.
Enid. Okla—Rock Island bridge out j
«a Cimarron; heaviest rain in years.
Refused to Sail Unless Wooden Boats
Were Substituted
Southampton.—Three hundred of ;
the firemen and greasers belonging to
the crew of the Olympic struck five
minutes before the White Star liner
was due to sail for New York. The
men deserted the ship In body. They
gave as their reason for striking that |
collopsible boats installed on the ves-1
sel are unseaworthy.
A deputation of men employed in
the engine room of the Olympic called
on' the officers of the ship and or.
Commander Clark, the chief of ths im-
migration office in Soulhampton to
whom they declared that the collaps-
ible craft on the Olympic were flimsy.
They refused to sail unless wooden
life boats were substituted for the
collapsible ones and also demanded
that two additional seamen be signe-J
Commander Clark offered to take
the Olympic to the Cowes Roads and
allow any of the crew to select an*
boat or boats on board and he woull
prove by demonstration that they
were absolutely safe. The men re-
fused to be convinved and left the
By pressing into service all the
available engine room hands on the
White Star and American liners
port, the Olympic was able to leave.
White Star officials declared the re
quisite complement of firemen, greas-
ers and crew is aboard the Olympic
and that the vessel will soon proceed.
There an 1,400 passengers aboard.
The steamer was unable to proceed,
however, as other employes refused
to sail unless the collapsible boats
were discarded and wooden ones sub
stituted.
TO RED CROSS CONFERENCE COURT SUSTAINS COMMISSION
STATE LOSES SUIT
NO-LEGS ISLAND IS PROPERTY OF
. INDIVIDUALS
DECISION BY JUDGE POE
GOVERNOR CRUCE DEMURS TO
THE DECISION
Think* It la Only a Mere Incident of
ths Journey of the Case Through
All ths Courts—Other State
Capital News
Oklahoma City.—In a decision
handed down by Judge L. M. Poe in
the district court at Pawnee the
Arkansas river is held to be not a
navigable stream and the federal and
state claims to ownership of the river
bed is refuted.
The case involved the ownership of
a tract of land in the river bed, cov-
ering an area of 84 acres, known' as
the Larry No-Legs island, and located
near Ralston.
This decision places the ownership
in W. H. Edmonston, a squatter, and
H. A. Thomas, a Pawnee county home
steader, who claims'a part of the tract
as belonging to his homestead, filed on
when the "Cherokee Strip" was opened
tc white settlement in 1893.
Because it is underlaid with rich
oil deposits this tract is estimated in
value at $500,000.
As the decision conflicts with that
recently rendered by Judge Cotteral
of the federal court at Guthrie, a de-
cision by the United States supreme
court will be necessary to finally de-
termine the ownership.
WORKING ON DRAFT OP
GROSS REVENUE LAW
Dacialon of Supreme Court as to Tax
on Interstate Commerce Necessi-
tates 8ome Changes
SAND MEN ELATED
Disregarding State's Assumed Owner-
ship They Will Scratch Gravel
Oklahoma City.—Under Judge Poe's
decision that the Arkansas river is a
non-navigable stream, sand operators
will at once resume work along the
river without reference to the Build-
ers' Sand and Gi^ve* company, or the
state school land commission, accord-
ing to a Tulsa dispatch. The decision
at Pawnee was on the right to develop
Osage Island for oil and gas. The
state loses its contention that the
stream is navigable.
Judge Poe holds that the rights of
the homesteaders and oil companies
holding leases are valid and subsist-
ing and that riparian right* attach to
ownership of lands adjacent, reaching
to the low water msri
MERELY ONE STEP
Poe Decision Merely Incidental to
Final Ruling, Governor States
Oklahoma City.—Concerning the
decision of Judge Poe at Pawnee in
the "gravel case." Governor Lee Cruce
failed to discover any thing more than
an Incidental opinion handed down
by a lower court judge. He stated
that the decision in no wise, if he is
correct of the suit in that it would
be immediately appealed to the su-
preme court for final adjustment.
"The case will be appealed," said
the governor, "and the state, pending
appeal, will exercise the identical
rights which it is now exercising
under the decision of Judge Cotteral
of the federal court, in which the
state was given the ownership of the
river bed. There are several divis-
ions of the controversy and an appeal
is necessary that the higher courts
may definitely decide the whole."
It appears from Governor Cruce's
statement that the Hoe decision has
no effect one way or the other upon
the contention of the state or the in-
dividual owners, nor will it change,
in the least, any operation of cont-
racts now held by the state or its
lessees. Apparently, the ruling is
merely a part of a series of formali-
ties by which the decision of the su-
preme court must be secured.
Oklahoma City.—Ths attorney gen-
eral's office is working on a draft of a
new gross revenue tax law, for presen-
tation to the next legislature, which
shall conform to the recent decision
of the supreme court of the United
States that the present law Is Invalid
insofar as it attempts to tax revenue
derived from interstate business.
There probably will be no material
change in the law as it relates to
purely domestic corporations, as the
supreme court of the state haa sus-
tained that portion of the law In the
case brought by the Oklahoma Gas
and Electric company, and the do-
mestic corporations are now paying
the tax without further protest.
It will, however, be necessary to
change that part of the law affecting
interstate corporations, which now
attempts to tax them both on their
intra state business and on the portion
of the Interstate business which is
properly assignable to this state.
Two plans are being considered in
that connection, one the Minnesota
plan, which imposes a high rate of
tax on the revenues of the companies
from intra-state business, and ex-
empts them from an advalorem tax,
but seeks to cover by It the intangible
as well as the tangible property of
the companies, taking their whole
business as an integral unit, and val-
uing the business in the state on that
basis.
The latter plan Is virtually the one
which has been followed in Oklaho-
ma in the assessment of the express
companies, now agreed to by the com-
panies. The assessment as finally
made is some 600 or 700 per cent
higher than in previous years, when
only the physical property was as-
sessed, and therein necessarily takes
in the intangible assets. As that ia
the result which the gross revenue tax
is intended to accomplish, it is prob-
able that all of the interstate corpora-
tions will be relieved of the gross
revenue tax if they will agree to the
other method of assessing their ad-
valorem taxes in this state.
ISSUE OF FUNDING
BONDS COMPLETED
Sta..- Warrant Indebtedness to Ex-
tent of *2,960,800 To Be
Taken Up
Oklahoma City.—Final arrange-
ments have been completed at a
meeting of Governor Cruce, State
Treasurer Robert Dunlop, Secretary
of State B. F. Harrison and W. C.
Reeves of the attorney general's of-
fice for the issue of funding bonds to
take up the state's warrant indebt-
edness.
The total amount of the outsanding
warrants is $2,660,800, and the total
interest to July 1, to which time the
warranty will bear the present rate
of interest, amounts to $209,704 62, an
aggregate issue of $2,870,505.41.
The bonds will be dated July 1, 1912
and will bear Interest at the rate of
4 percent, payable semi annually. The
warrants now outstanding bear inter-
est at the rate of 6 per cent and a
saving of 2 per cent Interest conse-
quently Is affected, in addition to dis-
tributing the payment of the deficit
over a long period of time.
The bonds will be in $ series of ten
annual payments, the first payment to
be made in twenty-one years and the
last payment in thirty years. Inter-
est on the funding issue and the sink-
ing fund will be taken care of in the
annual state levy.
German Delegation Starts on Trip te
Washington
Berlin.—The German delegation to
the International Red Cross confer-
ence which is to meet in Washington
next month, departed for the United
States. The delegation includes Baron
von Pfuhi, president of the German
branch of the Red Cross and a dis-
tinguished cavalry general; S. L.
Bernheimer, a member of the expert
commission of the German Red Cross
society, and Professor Kemmie, the
founder of the Red Cross training
school for girls at Hohenlychen.
Hiatoa. Okla—One
death, many
of build ing>
Calumet.— Okla—Three
is or tUftl injured;
deaths
Notable London Wedding
London—The marriage of Miss
MurMe Lucas-Tooth, daughter of Sir
Robert and Lady Lucas-Tooth, and
Major Richard George Bright, nephew
oi Viscount Canterbury, took piace in
St. Margaret's. Westminster, in the
presence of a large and fashionable
assemblage. The bride, who is a
young woman of great beatuy. visited
America last year and «as enter-
tained ia United States and Canada.
Low Rate Schedule Upheld by State i
Supreme Court
Oklahoma City.—Holding that the i
railroads bad practiced unjust dis-
crimination against Oklahoma City in !
the matter of live stock rates, both as j
compared with intrastate rates in oth-
er states and with interstate rates to
competitive markets, the supreme
court Tuesday in an opinion by Justice
Hays sustained in its entirety th<
order of the corporation commission
promulgating a new schedule of in
trastate rates on live stock
"We are of the opinion.'' says the
i court, "that there Is sufficient evi
' dence to sustain the conclusion and
finding of the rommiesion that the
rates complained of by the shipping
public and the packing industries lo-
cated at Oklahoma City were so high
as compared to rates prevaiiiag ia
other states under cimilar conditions,
and as compared to charges made for
Interstate shipments out of the Mate
to other marketa. as to result preju
dicially to and discriminate
the Oklahoma City market."
Preparing Brief
Oklahoma City.—The state's case In
the matter of the appeal of the Okla-
homa Railway company from the or-
der of the corporation commiaslon rel-
ative to the issue of transfers at cer-
tain hours of the day is being briefed
by Assistant Attorney General Charles
Moore. The appeal will be heard at
the May term of the supreme court.
The question raised is one of etreme
importance, since it involves the
power of the corporation commission
t oreguiste transportation companies
operating under a city and county
franchise. The appellant sets up the
claim that the constitution confers the
authority in the matfer of rates en-
tirely upon the city and county, while
the state makes the claim that the
corporation commiaslon is the govern-
ing body in this respect
Wright Appointed
Oklahoma City.—Governor Cruce
has appointed J. H. Wright county
commlasioner for the second district
of Choctaw county, to succeed J. M
Morton, deceased. There were more
than a half dozen appllcanta for the
place.
Jim Crew Petition
Oklahoma City.—A petition waa
Died with the corporation commission
Monday by the citizens of Fairfax, ask-
ing that the Santa Fe Railroad Com-
pany be permitted to discontinue the
Jim Crow malting room at that place.
Akin Bill Motion
Oklahoma City.—A motion to dis-
miss the port est against the sufficiency
of the Akin initiative measure, pro-
( viding for the elimination of fourteen
! state lnatitutions. was filed Monday by
; Attorneys Glddlngs and Giddlngs for
Oliver H. Akin of Moore, author of the
bill. The protest was signed by Noel
R. Gaacho of Woods County. Robert E.
Blanks of Pontotoc county and R. M.
Evans of Grady county. The principal
cause assigned for dismissal of the
protest is the allegation that Akin was
not notified of the protest within ten
days, as provided by law; that the bill
was filed on April 10 and that the
author did not receive notice of the
protest until 6:40 o'clock p. m. on
April 22. and that the notice then
given came through the secretary of
state. Instead of the protestants. as re-
quired by law; that notice waa not
seat to Akin by the protestants until
April 23 and was received Anril 24.
fourteen days after date of flltng of
the petitioa. It also is set up ia the
, motion to dismiss that the date set
| for beating the protests is outside of
the time permitted by law.
aftsraeee. wbea It was re-
aad maay ta-
Te Discuss Life Saving
Berlin—The calling of an interna-
tional conference to discuss the sub-
ject of the improvement of life-aavine
facilities on board passenger steam
era ia regarded as a practical cer-
stace i taint*
•ryan Best Man
Philadelphia—W. J Bryan acted as
heat man at the marriage here of Mrs
Catherine tarlaon of this city and W
J. Dwyer. a newspaper maa of Waah
lngtoa. D. C. The latter and Mr
Bryan have been friends for
ysara.
Stileeo Hsafchias (Mas
TVaahiagtoa —Stilsoc Hutrhias. mil
Blair sua eat Uaaaire phileaUr pa i aad retired | the N
nothing journalist. died at hia heme here after
■ a liagiiiag iUaeaa. with peralyelg He'teas s tat iona
• waa becu ia Whitefield. N H„ la ISM.. eaaat.
Iwatallmswt Plan
Oklahoma City.—A parole on con
dltioa that the balance or a Sl>« line
he paid on the -Installment plan" waa
granted by Governor free* to A I.
Jobnaoa of Shattsch. «-otv icied of
ttolattag the prohibitory law fined
itenred to eerv* niaet*
da ye la jail Johnson baa -erred sat
the Jan aiatisM aad thirty day* oa
the See The palate was aranted cm
eoadi'toa that he pay SIM of tae See
L 1)11. the
mm raae of 111 par meath
ha la era he paid at
SSM00 Aeraa Affected
Oklahoma City.—Notice of a sup
plemeatal quarantine order by the fed-
eral harass of animal Industry has
beea receivsd hy the state board of
agriculture, which made application
to have a large area of the state
placed above the federal eaaraatlne
line The new order placee two low a
shlpa la Comanche county aad part of
Grady aad Pottawatomie roaatlea
a here the federal eaaraatlae lia«*
The eattrs area aBeried lactedee
i haa ne.eaa acraa m
•active at oars
YUM FOR PEACE
PLANS FOR LIGHTENING BURDEN
OP PEOPLE
FIRST NEEOJS FINANCE
SHI KAI OUTLINES CHINESE NEWS *
GOVERNMENT POLICIES ^
Brlsf Synopsis of the Mannar and
Maans by Which New Preaidsnt
Will Attempt to Place China
On Her Feet
Pekln.—Yuan Sbl Kai, president of
the Chinese republic, delivered hiB
first verbal message in the form of a
speech at the opening Monday of the
session of the advisory council which
practically Is a provisional senate.
The president proclaimed that the
principles of the new Chinese govern-
ment must be the maintenance of or-
der in the interior, the achievement
of progress and the retention -of ex-
ternal friendships which are neces-
sary to the existence of China.
The attitude of foreign powers in
recent years, he said, had been Bucb
as to merit the gratitude of China
The most important matter at pres-
ent, the president said, was finance.
Foreign capital was essential to China
and the government was drafting the
principled of a financial reform; it
was negotiating with the powers for
an increase of the customs duties and
the abolition of transit taxes and the
reduction of the export taxes by whicl*.
the income from the maritime and |
native taxes would be increased to Tj
approximately 42,000,000 from the
present total of approximately $30.-
800.000.
The increase, he said would suffice
to pay for the amortiation of the for-
eign . loans. He hoped the railroad
and other loans would pay for them-
selves.
Yuan Shi Kai recommended plans
for lightening the burden of the peo-
ple, for proper survey of lands, for a
new scale of taxation, for a unified
system of currency and for standard
weights and measures. He declared
that owing to the insufficiency of finan-
cial experts among the Chinese the
employment of talented foreigners
was necessary.
He pointed out that industrial de
velopment had become of the first im-
portance. Ministers of forestry, in-
dustry and commerce would be estab-
lished, be said.
The troops In China, said Yuan Shi
Kai, are nuuecessarily numerous and
the ministry of war had been instruct-
ed to reduce their number.
Religious liberty would, he asserted
be guaranteed.
On Trial for Murder
Walkerville, Cal.—John Nelson, one
of the four yonths charged with the
murder of Peter Boberts in the Had
river county near here last Febru-
ary, was arraigned in court for trial.
The three other members of the quar-
tette, ranging in age from 16 to 20
years, already have been tried and
convicted.
Taxes Suspend Business
Amoy, China.—Reports were re-
ceived from Tungan. on the east coast
of Kwang Tung province, that serious
disturbances have resulted from an at
tempt to collect the likin or transit
taxes. All traffic in the neighborhood
has been suspended.
Teachers Convene
! Charleston, S C.—With President
I Finley of the Southern railway, Prof
I Charles W. Kent of the University of
Virginia, and several other person#
| of aide note on the list of speakers
i South Carolina school teachers as
! sembied in this city for what prom
ises to be the best convention ever
held by their state organisation.
French Aviator Fatally Hurt
Paris.—Jules Vedrines. foremost
aviator of France, was probably fa
tally hurt by a fall with his monoplane
at St. Denis, a suburb of Paris, while
flying from Douai, in the department
of the Nord. to Madrid. Vedrines was
ambitious of creating a new record
for an airman by flymg from Brussels.
Belgium to Madrid. Spain, in twenty-
four hours.
Killing in Sweetwater
Sweetwater. Texas.—Clayton Black,
recently tried and acquited on a
charge of attempt to murder "Bill"
Kt-hols in August, 1910. ass shot and
killed by Kchols on tbe streets of
Coahoma. Texas. Black, said to have
been unarmed was snot down when
the two men met onV the street.
Mexico Changes Ambassadera
Washington. Senor Don Gilberto Y
Crespo. the Mexican ambassador to
the I'nlted States who recently was
transferred to his former poet at
Vienna, said farewell to atate depart-
ment officials Saturday.
Cetera da foe Clara
Colorado Springs. CoL—The Colo-
rado state democratic convention
Monday adopted a resolution instruct
Ing Colorado's delegation to the na
Uoaai democratic convention to sup-
port Champ Clark
Little Rock. Ark - Passsager aad
freight service oa the Rock lalaad
hetwoaa Little Hock aad Meaaphie
will he renamed Tuesday The lias
Baa beea oet of eomartsstoa for twsaty
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Blizman, John J. The Gotebo Gazette. (Gotebo, Okla.), Vol. 11, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 2, 1912, newspaper, May 2, 1912; Gotebo, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metapth352040/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.