Today -100: November 8, 1913: Of evolutionists, oil, ritual murders, lynchings, and harmonicas

Obituary of the Day -100: Alfred Russel Wallace, explorer, zoologist, geographer, socialist, spiritualist, and of course, the other guy who came up with the theory of evolution, dead at 90.

Mexican dictator Huerta’s tactic seems to be to prevent European countries backing US demands for his resignation by buying them off with oil and railroad concessions and the like, hoping to delay any concrete US action (invasion, arming the rebels) until next month, when he is expecting major arms shipments to arrive. Meanwhile, Woodrow Wilson’s personal envoy John Lind is going back to Mexico City, no one knows why.

Can we blame Britain sticking so closely to Huerta on Winston Churchill? Currently the First Lord of the Admiralty, Churchill is overseeing the conversion of the navy from coal, of which Britain had plenty, to oil, which it didn’t but Mexico did. If you’re looking for the origin of the proud history of backing dictators to gain access to oil, this might well be it.

The Indianapolis street car strike is over. There will be arbitration, but no union recognition. During the strike four people were killed and many more wounded.

The ritual murder trial of Mendel Beilis in Kiev continues to be not so much about Beilis as about Teh Jewz. A Mr. Shmakoff (a vaudeville name if ever I heard one) testifies on behalf of the anti-Semites. He says the Jews and their, you know, money have influenced newspaper coverage of this case, and asks for Beilis to be convicted to bring joy to millions of anxious Russian mothers.

An 18-year-old negro who supposedly attacked a woman is lynched in Dyerburg, Tenn.

Headline of the Day For a Story I Didn’t Feel Compelled to Read -100: “HARMONICA IN HIS THROAT.; Jammed There by Robbers ;- Took Big Pliers to Draw It Out.”

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