BAEO
A
MTY
EDEIRAIL
MOTTO AH The Ncvrs When It Is New.
VOL. 19.
DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1011.
, NO. 24.
nrm
w a mm a
I
IP
CANADIAN RECIPROCITY WINS
FIRST ROUND IN HOUSE
FIGHT.
VOTE .ON TEST 197 TO 120
Democrats Act Solidly to Displace the
Regular Orden and Give Preference
to Canadian Agreement Oppo
nents Are Almost All Republicans.
Washington. The McCall bill car
rying out the Canadian reciprocity
agreement reached the floor of the
house Monday and that body by a
vote of 197 to 120 decided to begin
Its immediate consideration.
Immediately after the representa
tives met Mr. McCall of Massachu
setts called up the reciprocity bill.
Objection was made by members of
the District of Columbia committee,
this being district day on the house
calendar. A point of no quorum also
was made.
To Insure a full vote a calIxo the
house was ordered, and all absentees
were summoned to the chamber.
The roll call showed an overwhelm
ing majority for reciprocity.
While th vote to displace the reg
ular order on the house calendar can
not be accepted as an exact indication
on the final vote on the reciprocity
bill, it Is regarded as being approxi
mately so.
The vote against taking up . the
measure came almost wholly from the
Republican side. The Democrats voted
almost solidly for immediate consid
eration. Some of the Republicans who voted
against displacing the regular order
are not expected to place themselves
on record against reciprocity at a
final vote.
Mr. McCall will handle the time for
debate in favor of the bill and Mr.
Dalzell of Pennsylvania will serve in
like capacity for the opposition.
DIAZ TROOPS SLAY FAMILY
Massacre Aid to Rebels and Seize
$1,500,000 Forty Federals Killed
In Battle.
Galveston, Tex. Reports of the
massacre of an entire family of in
surrectos in Pueblo, State of Pueblo,
Mexico, and seizure of $1,500,000 gold,
were " brought' ' here" Monday ' on - a
steamer from Ftontera, Mexico.
Passengers said that recently the
government, upon Information that
Aguiles Salano, a prominent Pueblo
merchant, was acting as a treasurer
for insurrectos, sent troops with a
machine gun to his house. They took
possession, but found the place ap
parently deserted.
Finally a secret cellar Is Bald to
have been discovered where Salano
and his family were hiding. All sur
rendered, whereupon, it is alleged,
the troops Immediately shot the en
tire family to death. Search of the
premises is said to have revealed
more than $1,500,000 in gold and ne
gotiable securities.
Delayed advices received here Mon
day clear up suspense over results of
the fighting between insurrectos and
federals around Mulata. Word re
ceived the middle of last week told
of federal reverses in an assault up
on rebel lines at Mulata. News re
ceived here says the tide of battle
remained the same, with the result
that the. federals retreated to Ojinaga,
their base of supplies. The insurrec
tos were unable to check General
Luque's retreat. Their supply of am
munition was exhausted. The federal
loss was 40 killed and wounded.
TAFT AIDS ABSTAINERS' MOVE
President Writes Letter Which Is
Read in 3,000 8unday Schools
Throughout Unlcn.
Chicago. With the Intention of
enlisting all the Sunday school
children in the United States in a to
tal abstainers' movement, a letter writ
ten by President Taft was read In 3,
000 Sunday schools throughout the
country.
The letter was written - by the
president December 29 and is ad
dressed to Sunday school pupils as
"My dear young friends," and reads:
"The excessive use of intoxicating
liquor is the cause of a great deal of
poverty, degradation, and crime of the
world, and one who abstains from the
use of such liquor avoids a dangerous
temptation.
"Abraham Lincoln showed that he
believed this in writing out for his
boy friends the pledge of total absti
nence eo often quoted. Each person
must determine for himself the course
he will take in reference to his tastes
and appetites; but those who exercise
the self-restraint to avoid altogether
the temptation of alcohollo liquor are
on the safe and wiser side."
Dr. Howard H. Russell of Westvllle,
O., founder of the Anti-Saloon league,
also Is founder of the Lincoln legion,
which Instigated the services.
California Soldiers First Aviators.
San Ftanolsco. The coast artillery
corps. National Ouard of California,
Monday completed arrangements for
Eugene Fly, the aviator, to act as In
structor for the aviation squad. This
Is claimed to be the first aviation
quad organized by a militia corps.
Woman Who Saw Lafayette Dies.
Charlottepvllle, Va Mrs. Cornelia
D. Hurley, who was present when
Marquis de Lafayette visited the Uni
versity of Michigan in 1825, died here
Monday at the age of ninety-three.
A RELENTLESS MONSTER
(I
Running Rampant Ovar
Ifi LINCOLN'S HONOR
MARTYRED PRESIDENT'S BIRTH
DAY CELEBRATED AT SPRING
FIELD, ILL.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE PRESENT
Taft Briefly Addresses Joint Session
of Legislature and Is Principal
Speaker at Elaborate Banquet Held
in Chamber of Commerce.
Springfield, 111. President Taft was
the honored guest of Illinois at the
celebration of the 102nd anniversary
of the birth of Abraham Lincoln and
the GOth anniversary of the depar
ture ot the great emancipator from
Springfield for the White House in
Washington. There- were many other
distinguished guests from many sec
tions of the country.
President Taft and his party ar
rived early In the afternoon, having
been brought In Congressman McKln
ley's private car on the interurban
from Decatur, where they were met
by Representative Israel Dudgeon of
Morris, chairman of the Joint legisla
tive committee in charge of the pro
gram. As soon as Mr. Taft alighted
from the car the parade was formed
with MaJ.-Gen. Edward C. Young of
Chicago as grand marshal and Adjt.
Gen. F. S. Dickson as his chief of
staff.
, The First regiment, from Chicago,
acted as an escort to the president,
and that regiment's band furnished the
military music, turning out eighty
five strong. The parade moved down
Capitol avenue to the state house, as
the presidential salute of twenty-one
guns was tdag fired.
Arriving at the capltol the presi
dent entered the building and was re
ceived by the two houses of the legis
lature in special Joint session. To
the lawmakers he made his first ad
dress of the day, speaking briefly but
spiritedly. Mr. Taft and the other
visitors were then escorted to the old
Lincoln home at Eighth and Jackson
streets.
From the home the visitors were
taken to Oak Ridge cemetery, where
the martyred president's remains rest
beneath the new monument. Mr. Taft
and the other guests entered the me
morial chapel in the monument and
reverently viewed the priceless Lin
coln relics preserved there. These in
clude much of Lincoln's correspond
ence and the famous autobiography
which he wrote on one sheet of paper.
The party also viewed the empty sar
cophagus In which Lincoln's body lay
for many years.
The culmination of the day's events
was the groat banquet in the arsenal
In the evening under the auspices of
the Lincoln Ontennial association
and the ftprlngfleld chamber of com
merce. Iowa "Daylight" Saloon Bill Up.
Des Moines, la. The house Wednes
day passed the "daylight" saloon bill
by a vote of 60 to 35, with 13 absent.
The measure provides that saloons In
Iowa shall be open from seven in the
morning until eight at night.
Recalled Seattle Mayor Steps Out.
Seattle,- Wash. Mayor Hiram O.
(GUI, recalled by the electors for al
leged misconduct of office, retired Sat
urday without ceremony, and George
W. Dilllng, chosen to succeed him,
took the oath of office.
Russian Official Found Dead.
Teleru, Persia. The body of T.
Bogojavlensky, Russian consul gen
eral at Ispahan since 1908. was dis
covered In a well on the grounds of
the consulate Saturday. Foul play U
Il'EfJfEtCd.
TtkBmmwMm
China's Teeming Millions.
PAY ROLL FRAUDS BIG
U. 8. STEEL CORPORATION DE
FRAUDED OF THOUSAND3.
Evidence Shows Thefts Made Posslblt
by Carrying Dead Men As
Employes.
Hammond, Ind. Evidence adduced
at the trial or John T. Caldwell
and Charles Bloomhoff, former time
keepers at the Indiana steel plant at
Gary, Ind., charged with conspiracy
to defraud, shows that the United
States Steel corporation has been
swindled out of upwards of $500,000.
The stupendous size of thefts were
made possible- by -earryieg dead men,
straw men and missing men on the
pay rolls, through the alleged con
nivance of the defendants.
It has been brought out during the
trial now under way for three weeks
that a dead employee of the United
States Steel company was carried for
months on the pay roll. Bloomhoff
and Caldwell are asserted to have pur
chased a garage and automobile on
Michigan avenue, Chicago, with pro
ceeds of the alleged peculations. ' The
case will probably go to the Jury to
day. The defendants charge that
higher officials of the United States
Steel company are involved In the
conspiracy.
PLOT TO RUIN COTTON CROP
Governor-Elect Smith of Georgia Ex
poses Seheme to Infect Fields
With Boll Weevil.
Atlanta, Ga. Governor -elect Hok
Smith Saturday gave out a statement
exposing a plot of New York specula
tors to Infect the cotton fields of
Georgia and South Carolina with the
dreadful boll weevil In order to be able
to make a fortune In the market next
season by reducing the crop and rais
ing the price of Dixie's staple.
The first information cajie In a let
ter to Mr. Smith from a man, whose
name he refuses to give, but In whom
he places entire confidence. At Mr.
Smith's request the writer came here
from New York for a personal visit
with the governor-elect. Convinced by
the evidence offered by this Informant,
Governor-elect Smith has given prompt
warning to the farmers and the plant
ers of the south that two plotters have
in their possession at least 1,000,000
live boll weevils, and are waiting their
opportunity to scatter these disastrous
Insects over Georgia and South Caro
lina. FAMILY OF SEVEN KILLED
Father Coming In Late Jars Gas Tub
Connecting Pipe and All Are
Asphyxiated.
Philadelphia. A family of seven per
sons, Including the father, mother and
five children, were killed Sunday morn
ing by Illuminating gas In their home
In Pearl plaee.
The dead are: Hyman Berkowitz,
forty-two years old; Mrs. Rose Berko
witz, forty years old; Minnie, eigh
teen; Michael, twelve; Israel, nine;
Rebecca, seven, and Paul, six.
The family was killed by the acci
dental loosening of a rubber gnu tube
from a gas pipe running across the
main living room and the flooding of
the house with gas.
Rob a Bank; Two Wounded.
Sacramento, Cal. Blowing open the
safe of the Nippon bank of this city
Monday, five bandits got away with
$5,908 after serlouHly wounding Po
liceman Charles Patrlln and Charles
Allison, a companion.
Britons Rush for Bonds.
London. Subscriptions for the $5,.
000,000 of Kansas City & Southern
railway refunding and Improvement
mortgage five per cent, gold bonds
closed Monday, having been largely
oversubscribed.
FLEES DANVILLE QUIZ
ALLEGED EMBEZZLER SUDDENLY
GOES TO DETROIT.
Hardy H. Whltlock Alleged to Have
Been Urged to Leave Before Sub
poena Could Be Served.
Danville, III. Hardy II. 'WhltlocK
who waa indicted for etn bet n ring
county funds, returned to Danville in
custody of 8herlff Shepardjand gave
bond. In a statement, Mrt Whltlock
said that he had received no sub
poena. 1
Mr. Whltlock waa asked to what ex
tent he had purchased votes. He de
clined to answer the question, saying
It would all be brought oiit at his
trial and before the grand Jury If he
was called. '
Mr. Whltlock suddenly changed his
mind about remaining In Danville,
and left for Detroit Monday. The
statement is being freely made on the
streets and about the -courthouse that
Whltlock was .urged to return to De
troit before a subpoena for'be grand
Jury could be Issued for him.
Sheriff Sbepard and his deputlea
began Monday serving bench warrants
on some of the persons who have
been indicted.
Seventy-six additional Indictments
for vote selling were ordered pre
pared by the Jury. t
ARCHBISHOP RYAN IS DEAD
Passes Away at His Residence In
Philadelphia Had a Notable
Church Career.
Philadelphia, Most Rev. Patrick
John Ryan, D. P., LL. D., archbishop
of Philadelphia, and one of Che great
est archbishops on this continent, died
Saturday at the archleplscopal resi
dence. Archbishop Ryan, known- as the
greatest orator of the Catholic church
in America, was born in 1831 In
Thurles, County Tlpperary, Ireland
He spent his early boyhood in his
native country, coming to America in
1852 and going at once to St
Louis.
On April 14, 1872, he was conse
crated bishop in partlbus,, with the
title of bishop ot Tricomla, and mads
coadjutor to the then venerable Arch
bishop Kendrlck. I.
During the Civil war be waa chap
lain of the military prison at St- Louis,
and in 1868 he went to Rome at the In
vitation of Pope Plus IX. and delivered
the Lenten lectures tn English . - u,.
During the strike of the anthracite
miners of Pennsylvania in 1900 Arch
bishop Ryan, who in 1884 had been
made archbishop of the Philadelphia
diocese, spent most of hia time In the
coal fields. Here hia advice and con
solation waa much sought His In
fluence with the miners at that tlm
was said to have kept many acta oi
violence from being attempted.
While chaplain of the military
prison at SL Louis, which waa known
as the Gratiot prison, he labored with
much success among the prisoners,
sometimes baptising aa many aa 6CX
converts in a day.
JAMES BOYS' MOTHER DIES
Mrs. 8amuels, Who Defended CandN
Sons, Passea Away Suddenly
on Train.
Oklahoma City, Okla. Mrs. Zerel
day Samuels, mother of the on
time notorious bandits, Jesse and
Frank James, whom she kept from be
ing captured by her wit and courage
for 20 years, died in a Pullman state
room on a San Francisco train near
this city. She succumbed to heart dis
ease at the age of eighty-six.
With her was Mrs. Frank James.
They were en route from Fletcher,
Okie,, the present home of Frank
James, to Excelsior, Mo., eight miles
from the old James homestead In Clay
county, which was once (he most
noted stronghold ot outlawry on the
border.
Forty years ago, during an attack
on the James home by detectives, a
bomb was thrown Into the house and
tore away Mrs. Samuel's right arm.
Mrs. Samuels was of gigantic stature.
TERRITORIAL TRADE GROWS
America's Business With its Distant
Possessions Reaches $202,494,343
in Year.
Washington. Within the lasi
seven years the trade ot the
United States with Its noncontiguous
territories doubled In value, according
to statisticians of the bureau ot statis
tics of the department of commerce
and labor.
In 1910 the trade with Alaska, Ha
waii, Porto Rico, the Philippines,
Guam, Tutulla and the Midway islands
amounted to $202,494,343. In 1903 it
amounted to $100,107,234.
The statistics also show that In the
seven-year period the increase was 83
per cent in the value of merchandise
shipped from the territories to the
United States and 139 per cent in the
value of merchandise shipped from
the United States to the territories.
Pension Roll Up $60,000,000.
Washington. The senate commit
tee on pensions voU-d Monday to re
port favorably the Sulloway pension
bill, which already has passed the
house. It Increases the general pen
sion roll about $,"jO,(00,000 a year. The
vote was 8 to 3, the minority being
McCumber, Gore and Talllaferro.
Rain Falls In Kansas.
Sallna, Kan. A general rain fell In
central and western Kansas Monday,
This was the first rain of any conse
quenco In five mouths.
HTY LAW GOST
GOVERNOR 8AYS $92,600 IS NEED
ED FOR BIENNIUM.
OLD REMOVAL BILL DEFEATED
New Capital Removal Bill Makes Its
Appearance.
Governor Aldrlch has submitted a
pedal message to the legislature In
whlcli he incorporates a report of Sec
retary E. Hoy se of the stote banking
board stating that an arproprlation ot
$92,600 will be necessary to enforce
the banking laws. Including the guar
anty of deposits provision, for a period
of two years. Mr. Itoyre has Inquired
Into the operation of a similar law in
Oklahoma. To verify annually' at
least 10 per cent of the loans and de
posits as required by the new law will
require twelve stnte bank examiners
at a cost of $43.2H for salaries aud
$24,000 for traveling expenses, or a
total of $67,200 for that one item of ex
pense. .
Shorne of its objectionable features,
o Its supporters claim, and strength
ened by the spirit of fairness in which,
they add. It is written a new capital
removal bill made its appearance Fri
day afternoon. Its predecessor was
consigned to the tomb of defeat at the
morning session, only 38 mourners be
ing present at the last Bad rites of the
long talked of, and deeply cherished
message.
The new bill eliminates among
other features, the stipulation that
contestants for capitalistic honors
hall .lie west of the 97th meridian, a
very prominent part of the departed
bill and one which Representative
Prince sought to have left out, had he
succeeded In securing a recotnmita of
the mensure to the committee of the
whole for specific amendment.
Revise Initiative and Rerefendum.
As the result of a little reflection
and research on the part of the radical
supporters of an Initiative and refer
endum bill, Senator Sklles has asked
unanimous consent to amend senate
file No. 1 so that some of the objec
tions made by the "conservatives" are
satisfied. The amendment eliminates
the '"partyelrcle'' provision Dow, ex
isting with reference to constitutional
amendments and also meets Senator
Alberts constant assertion that the
bill as originally drawn was not self
executing and might be Ineffective
even if passed. ,The conservatives re
gard this request of the Sklles follow
ers as a vindication of their fight
Tuesday. The amendment will be In
serted by the committee on constitu
tional amendments and the 'hill will
be presented for a vote after the
amendment Is printed and engrossed.
Must Vote at Home.
The senate committee on privileges
and elections has recommended tor
passage Volpp's bill, requiring stu
dents to vote at their parental home
and not at the place of their student
residence if they receive help from
home. This bill, if passed, will elim
inate the student vote in Lincoln.
For Defending the Bill.
The claims committee hna voted to
allow C. A. Whedon $5,000 for his
work In defending the bank guaranty
law, and has given Judge I. L. Albert,
at present state senator, $2,500 for-his
work.
The lower house ot the Nebraska
legislature is In favor of tariff revi
sion even If it docs touch some of the
chief products of the state. It so
voted this, morning In turning down
almost two to one the resolution of
condemnation directed 'aglnst the
proposed treaty by Colton,
Farmers Discuss Hog Cholera.
The agricultural committee of the
tiouse held an informal meeting at the
Lincoln at which discussion was cen
tered largely on the Sanborn serum
bill. This measure calls for the ap
propriation of $15,000 for the estab
lishment of a hog cholera serum plant,
to be operated by the state. Several
veterinary surgeona from over the
state were present to give the legisla
tors information on the subject. The
bill was originally referred to this
committee, but was recalled.
$1,131,940 for Biennlum.
The snlnry appropriation for state
officers and Institutions was Intro
duced In the house. It carries a total
appropriation of $1,131,940 for the bi
ennlum as against nn appropriation of
$;if)fi,2no in the bill two years ago.
Of this Increase $'K! 500 represents sal
aries necessitated by the opening of
the Wayne and Cliadron normal
schools. The net Increase for the
same officers and institutions In the
bill two years ago is $42,240.
A motion was passed Instructing
the university removal Investigating
committee to also take cognizance of
the dual medical school now being
euported by (ho state, half of it in
Omaha and half in Lincoln, to see
whether It considered It profitable for
the state to maintain Its medical do
partrnent. Holmes of Douglas could
not understand the motion. , He be
lieved It affected one of the largest
cities in the state and wanted the mo
tion laid over a day while ho looked
Into It. The speaker ruled against
him and the hiotlon was passed.
GUARA
COUNTY OPTION IS DEFEATED
The Bill Lacks One Vote In the
State Senate.
Without any fireworks the county
option bill was defeated on Its pas
sage In the senate Wednesday. This
result was not unexpected, it gener
ally being believed that Bartllng of
Otoe would vote against It. He was
the only republican who did so. Ollis
of Valley, who introduced the hill,
Iee of Boyd and Bodinson of Buffalo,
were the only democrats who voted
for tho bill. It received sixteen votes,
while seventeen were cast against It.
Ily agreement the bill at no stage of
its progress was discussed on Its
merits. It was. a measure to make
the present , local option law subser
vient to the county option law In
counties that might adopt county op
tion 'and vote to prohibit saloons In
the qounty. It provided that county
and town licensing boards should be
governed by tbo result of a
vote of the entire county when the
vote was In favor of prohibiting the
Issuance of licenses.
The roll call on the bill resulted as
follows:
Yea: Bodlson, Brown, Cordeal. Cox
of Kearney, Cox of Hamilton, Hoag
land, Jansen. Kemp. . Iee, McGrew,
Ollls, Reynolds, Selleck, Smith ot
Boone, Smith of Fillmore, Varner 16.
Nay: Albert, Banning. Bartllng,
Bartos, Buhrman, Horton, Kohl, More
head, Pickens, Placek, Reagan, Sklles,
Talcott. Tanner. Tibbets, Volpp, Wil
cox 17.
Petitions Against 8unday Baseball.
A bunch of petitions against Sun
day buseball were Introduced in the
senate Monday, all of the papers be
ing referred to the Judiciary commit
tee, which had the bill In charge. A
petition to Senator Pickens was head
ed by E. S. Burr of Carleton, a peti
tion to Senator Skiles was headed by
W. Cady of Pleasantdale, a petition to
Senator Cox ot Hamilton had the name
of the Rev. A. V. Wilson of Ong at
the top, one to Senator J. A. Cox waa
headed by E. A. McVey of Stockman,
the petition addressed to Senator Var
ner came from J. A. Dorens of Madi
son and others. Senator C. E. Smith
received two petitions, one from G.
W. Stone and others of Exeter, and
one from R. A. Smith and others of
York. A petition to Senators Selleck
and Brown ot Lancaster was headed
by the. name of J. D. Priest of Normal,
while the last of the bunch of peti
tions addressed, ,to Senator JI(?Gre,w
had the name of C H. Shader of
Blcomlngton at the beginning.
Wins Second Round.
Eastman's bill appropriating $100,
000 for another agricultural school In
the southwestern part of the state
passed the howae by a bare majority,
and the boosters for thaX enterprise
won the second round which pushed
the bill on towards final passage. The
bill has been worked for with great
earnestness by boosters from Harlan
and Phelps counties, who have sent
repeated delegations to Lincoln in the
Interest of the measure. Ex-Governor
Shallenberger was one of these boost
ers. Eastman, the author of the bill,
feared that be might lose on the final
vote, but succeeded In mustering fifty
one, votes for the measure bb opposed
to forty-seven cast agtlnst it.
The Nebraska stato senate recom
mended the Initiative and referendum
bill for passage Tuesday afternoon
after a'sesston devoted largely to ora
tory. The bill was discussed in com
mittee of the whole and after minor
changes was ordered engrossed for a
third reading. Friends of the measure
stood shoulder to shoulder and suc
ceeded in voting) down all radical
amendments offered.
Sklles of Butler, the introducer of
the bill, championed the measure,
while Albert of Platte opposed some
of Its provisions and proposed refer
ring It to a committee to digest the
many proposed amendments. Placek
of Saunders offered several amend
ments which the Introducer of the,
bill opposed and they were defeated
Capital Relocation Again.
Capital relocation was the big Is
sue taken up at Wednesday's sesclcn
of the house and It consumed the en
tire afternoon. Tho lobby and the
gallery were both crowded with' spec
tators and every lawmaker In the low
er house was on his mettle for the un
usual fray.
Prince of Hall led the attack for the
removal contingent, while he was op
posed mainly by Fllley of Gage, Mock
ett, Hatfield and McKelvie of Lancas
ter and Smith of Boone. The argu
ments were warm on both sides
Income Tax Favored.
In the tipper house tho Joint reso
lution favoring tho Income tar re
ceived the vote of every sen Uor pres
ent when the vote was talten, thirty
two senators voting for the bill.
Among the bills passed was 3. F. No.
55, which prohibits the use of vehicles
or conveyances In getting voters to
the polls.
S. F. 30, by Bartllng, the Sunday
baseball bill, passed by a vote of 19
to 13. This not being sufficient to
pass a bill with an emergency clause,
a second vote was taken with the
emergency clause stricken out and
the vole resulted the same. Tanner
. of Doiulns was the only senator ab
I sent. Volpp of Dodge promised a call
of the house In order to bring In the
i absent member. The chair convinced
him that a two-thirds vote could not
be given In favor of the bill even with
i Tanner present, bo the motion for
, a call ot the bouse was withdrawn.
BANDITS Ifl AS:
LOOT KANSAS BANtS
MASKED ROBBERS IN TOURING
CARS HAVE RAIDED 30 IN
90 DAYS.
EPIDEMIC THROUGHOUT WEST
Well-Organized Gang of Motor Plratea
Terrorizing Country Bankers, and
Farmers With Fat Pocketbooka
Fear the Marauders,
Topeka, Kan. Always up to date
and sometimes spectacular, Kansas'
has a new claim to fame. The banks
of the Sunflower state ere being rob
bed by a well organized band of motor
pirates. Country bankers are frankly
terror-stricken and the city bankers
are growing uneasy. Farmers with
fat rolls are tossing uneasily in their
beds.
So far the record shows that within
the last three months over 30 banks
have been robbed within the confines
ot the state of Kansas. Over $100,000
has been taken and never a bandit baa
as yet decorated the Interior of a Jail
cell. Not a man has been arrested,
and the clues are very vague and hard '
to follow. Kansas sheriffs, town mar
shals, detectives and chiefs of police
are at their wits' end and the robbers
continue to. dart in and out ot the
state, raiding the richest and most
available banks apparently at their
own pleasure. The authorities have
banded together with the Anti-Horse-Thief
associations that are still found
over the state, and are vowing ven
geance, but so far nothing has come
of all their efforts.
A meeting of sheriffs and policemen
was held In Wichita in an effort to
devise ways and means for capturing
the bold marauders. But the black mo
tor cars filled with masked banditti
till race along the prairie highways.
State Bank Commissioner Dolley ot
Kansas has taken matters Into his
own hands to a certain extent, and has
called upon the governors of Oklahoma
and Nebraska to keep their bandits at
home. It Is the contention of the Kan-
Making a Get-Away.
as authorities that these midnight
marauders dart across the state line
Into Nebraska from both Oklahoma
and Nebraska, rob a bank or two be
tween dark and daylight, and dash
back across the boundary, where the
maddened Kansans dare not follow
them. Oklahoma and Nebraska resent
the imputation and the citizens ot
these commonwealths are calling upon
Kansas to remove the beam from her
own eye before trying to locate the '
motes in those of her neighbors.
The bandits have undoubtedly come
back Into their old haunts. They are
riding the same prairies In motor cars
that they once galloped over upon
their cayuses. They seem to find the
change altogether profitable and com
fortable as well. It lu safer to make a
get-away In a big powerful racing car
than it is to trust to horseflesh and
animal stamina. It Is easier to carry
away the "swag" In a car than It Is to
put it in a gunny sack and tie It to
a ffaddle born.
Kansas has known tank robbers In
the old days. The Kansas town Is
poor and Indeed uninteresting that
has no story to tell of the "day the
stage was held up a couple of miles
out of town." or of that other day
when the "Dalton gang rode into town
and held up the bank in broad day
light." They are able many times to
show you the exact spot .here the
cashier was killed or where some bold
bandit waa left wallowing on the
prairie when his companions were
forced to gallop out ot town.
The bandits who have come back
are possibly not so spectacular as
those of a decade ago, but they get
what they go after. Motor cars aa a
means of marauding are new even to
Kansas. But three-score raided bauks
and a few thousand depositors can
testify that they are effective beyond
the dreams of those more dramatio
holdup men who dashed into town on
lean and rangy cow ponieu.
The states of Towa, Oklahoma, Ne
braska and Texas, as well as Kausas
have suffered from a regular epidemic
St bank robberies during the past few
months, and as many as a dozen dif
ferent towns in Oklahoma have had
heir banks burglarized.