Today -100: March 4, 1911: Of leather insurgents, electrical trusts, banker belling, and Le Juif Déserteur

Headline of the Day -100: “Leather Insurgents Gain Part Victory.” Some court case by stockholders in the Central Leather Company. Whatever. But: leather insurgents!

Speaking of insurgents, Francisco Madero is demanding the city of Chihuahua surrender or be starved into submission.

The federal government sues to dissolve the “electrical trust,” 34 companies centered on General Electric and the National Electric Lamp Company, which has gained control of 97% of the 80 million lamps sold annually in the US since the patent on carbon filament incandescent lights expired in 1904. One tactic: setting up fake “independent” companies to sell inferior lamps to damage the reputation of real independents.

Headline, er, Other Headline of the Day -100: “Term in Prison for Banker Belling.” Sadly, it turns out to be a banker named Charles Belling (for forgery); there was not a crime of banker-belling.

Henri Bernstein withdraws “Après Mois” from the Comédie-Française, saying he does not wish to be responsible for more bloodshed.