Today -100: January 3, 1914: Of human sacrifices, martial law, and taxing royalty

A Mexican rebel offensive at Ojinaga fails.

Headline of the Day -100: “Human Sacrifice to Czar.” The czar just took a train from Moscow to Tsarkoe Selo (near St Petersburg), so soldiers were posted every few yards along the entire 400-mile route during a raging storm. Four soldiers were hit by trains in three separate incidents because the couldn’t see that they were standing on tracks because of the snow.

Headline of the Day -100 #2: “Girl Puts Town under Martial Law.” Oregon Gov. Oswald West’s secretary, Miss Fern Hobbs, declares martial law in Copperfield in order to shut its saloons after the mayor and city council refused her demand that they resign (the governor wants the officials who own saloons removed from office).

Germany will implement new taxes on the wealthy to support an increased army. The NYT’s figures are all round numbers in US dollars, which seems a bit suspect, but it says the taxes will raise $250 million, of which $1 million will be paid by the royal family, the first time they have been subject to taxation.

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