Show attorney says mitchell Is persecuted by heney portland ore june 29 judge A S bennett opened the argument for tho defense today in the trial of U S senator mitchell he took up the evidence in the case and alleged it was one of persecution bennett claimed that the theory that the two partners mitchell and tanner worked on was that it was all right for tanner to prosecute land matters in any of the land offices receiving tees which was divided between the two partners as was right bennett alleged that the testimony of tanner was untrustworthy and was given under pressure applied by U S district attorney heney bennett contended that tho testimony of mit cnellis secretary harry robertson was false and that undue importance was attached to the latter two being partners that had been introduced as evidence by the prosecution i judge bennett did not conclude in time for senator thurston to speak today and court was adjourned until tomorrow many times in the course of judge bennetts argument tears stood in his own eyes and he brought them to the eyes of tho jurors and the persons in the court room it is doubtful it the goes to the jury before saturday morning IDAHO LAND FRAUDS special action to bs taken by actor ney general moody washington june 29 land fraud tases in idaho will be considered at a special term of the united states lis which will ba held at lewiston idaho in the first weak of july by direction of attorney general moody and through the request of secretary of the interior hitchcock the term of cobit and grand jiny ar made necessary by the fact that the summer term nt lewiston has adjourned without action being taken in the land fraud cases and that ft number of casas under investigation will bo outlawed by the statute of limitations unless indictments arc returned before july inspectors of the general land office working in connection with the united states attorney for haho ave been engaged for several months on a special investigation of alleged frauds in that state and according to the partial reports received by the general office it h intimated that a large number of persons will be indicted secretary hitchcock i desirous that none of the persons against whom evidence has been gathered abill escape prosecution under cover of the statute of limitations erect ON pennsylvania cleveland june 29 the eastbound passenger train on the cleveland pitts burg branch 0 the pennsylvania road was derailed and wrecked near atwater ohio today at least one passenger was killed while a dozen others were injured THE DEAD C II 11 munhall Mun hale cleveland commercial agent cleveland akron and columbus railway engineer balkins Bal wins injuries are very serious and he will probably will die the train is one of the fastest between cleveland and pittsburg making the run of miles between the two cities in three hours and fifteen minutes when the accident occurred the train was probably running fifty miles an hour A section crew was ic pairing the track it is said had removed a rail A flagman was sent out but tor some reason ire tailed to stop the train the train consisted of a combination baggage and smoker one day coach a buffet car and two pullmans all the injured passengers were in the chair car the wreckage caught alre but the flames were soon extinguished gui shed SINKING OF ST kalda st petersburg june 29 the russian government has intimated to the britian embassy its willingness to land the officers of the british steamer st allda sunk by the russian auxiliary cruiser june ath in the china sea at port said if but suggests that it might be preferable for them to go to and testify regarding the circumstances of the sinking of the steamer the government also expressed its willingness to consider the question of compensation tor the sinking of the st kilda but a definite decision on this subject must await the result of the hearing before the prize court st petersburg june 29 agrarian riots now extend over almost the entire government of cherson Kh erson many estates have been abandoned their owners fleeing to Ellzabeth grad there Is a similar state of things in eka where is rite TOWN DESTROYED situated on an island off alaskan coast seattle wash june 29 the town of on the southern coast of alaska has probably been destroyed by alre the officers of the steamer cottage city arriving from the north today report that the waa burning on the night of juno is situated on anette island near A native resident caralea the news to the latter place father duncan a pioneer minister of alaska established his mission on the island thirty years ago there arc a number of large buildings at WAR IN PASSENGER RATES chicago june 29 the threatened war in passenger rates to the east was precipitated today by the michigan central which filed notice with the inter state commerce commission that on july ast 1st it will sell tickets between chicago and eastern points at the differential ferent ial rate awarded it by the board of arbitration the differential rates will apply oer the now york central as well aa over other lines cast of buffalo it is understood the grand Trunk will meet the new rates of the Allo higan central by putting in rates 0 16 first cliss and 15 second class irom chicago to new york on july lt aa he matter now stands he rates over the michigan central to new york will be 18 and 17 and 2 less over the grand trunk erie and wabash the rates of the three latter will not apply however over the new york central that road hav ing refused to accept any differential business except from the michigan central RESIGNS FROM EQUITABLE new york june 29 general lewis fitzgerald sent his resignation as a director of the equitable assurance society to chairman morton today general fitzgerald was an intimate friend of the late henry B hyde and was associated with him in the equitable society and a number of other corporations chairman morton announced today that the united states senators de pews retainer of a year and the retainer of former governor B hill of both as attorneys have bean discontinued george H squire a former employ ot the society has been notified that his pension salary of 1000 a month will cease july ast 1st HAUNTING NIGHTMARE of revenge Is not wanted by japanese st petersburg june 29 rear admiral loff in an interview today says ho considers the news concerning the russian army at the front as distinctly bad but he does not believe that the japanese will undertake the investment of vladivostok until they have tried conclusions with general linevitch the admiral favors an alliance with japan whose demands ho thinks will prove moderate since japan Is too tar seeing to desire the haunting nightmare of revenge THREE CHILDREN DROWNED went and were found in a slough quincy ore june 29 three children of thomas basso have been drowned in beaver slough near klats banle the children the eldest twelve years of age and the youngest she left their home to go they did not return and a search party which was organized followed their tracks down to beaver slough where a boat was riding at anchor and a search of the water resulted in the finding of the bodies it Is supposed that they crawled out on a boom to which the boat was tied and fell into the slough WILLIAM CLARK CHAIRMAN elected by executive board of S P L A and S L road new york june 29 the executive committee of the san pedro los angeles and salt lake railroad composed of senator dark E H harraman Harrl man R C kerens and W D cornish met here today and elected william A dark chairman BAD BANK FAILURE clinton mo june 29 the affairs of the failed bank of salmon salmon grow worse under investigation it is now asserted that depositors will receive no more than 25 per cent and perhaps not above fifteen par cent it developed dev elopes that the bank owes in los angeles some of which is alleged to be on forged papers W W adamson a lifelong life long friend of the late geo M casey Is said to hae lost on notes given by him provisionally two year to alj ac short horn cattle king when the latter failed casey was the father of thomas M casey the cashier who is now under arrest BEAUTIFUL HOME DESTROYED san francisco june 29 the three story residence of john F merrill at washington street and van ness avenue was destroyed by fire at midnight the fire originated in a dumb waiter shaft and was caused by the explosion ot gas the bouse contained many rare paintings and valuable antique furniture all of which was totally destroyed st the loss is estimated at mr merrill Is a member of the firm of holbrook merrill and stetson he is at present in europe with his family two japanese servants here wera in charge of the house electrical OFFICERS portland ore june 29 the electrical transmission association and the pacific coast electrical engineers now in convention here have elected the following temporary officers today secretary wilmar roberts of seattle executive committee samuel areld of portland george P love san francisco and allmore roberts seattle SANTA FE TRAIN WRECK five persons are injured and conductor killed albuquerque N M june 29 the santa fe passenger train coming from el paso was wrecked at san antonio south of here today by colliding with some loaded freight cars that had been pushed into the main track the first coach of the passenger train was telescoped and conductor A W wells of EI paso was killed five persons were injured one mrs D P rice of denver seriously portland ore june 29 santa barbara calif was today selected as the next meeting place of the pacific coast conference of the unitarian church which will conclude a two days session in this city tonight |