Ncbr. S!ale Historical Society
mluliBmouth
VOL. NO. II
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASXA, MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1935.
NO. 19
Clarence Price
Indicted for First
Degree Murder
Grand Jury at Glenwood Late Sat
urday Votes Indictment Against
Former Resident Here.
The special Mills county grand
jury, which has been in session at
Glenwood for the past ten days, late
Saturday afternoon reported out the
Indictment of Clarence Price, 45, on
a first degree murder charge.
Price is charged with the slaying
of his grandniece, Edith Kuhl. at
the home of her aunt, Mrs. Ritta Gra
Sam at Pacific Junction.
The prisoner charged by the grand
Jury was brought at once before
Judge Earl Peters in the district
court to be arraigned. When the man
was brought into court he volun
tarily stated, "All I can Bay is that
I didn't do it and I don't know who
did it."
Questioned by the court, he stated
he had no attorney, nor did he have
any preference as to whom the court
might appoint. Judge Peters then
named Norman S. Genung, prominent
Glenwood attorney, to conduct the
defense for Price.
Genung, following a conference
with Price, waived the reading of
the charge, but requested three days
time before pleading and this was
granted by the court. Price was re
turned to the Mills county jail by
Sheritr DeMoss.
There were fifty witnesses heard
by the grand Jury in their sessions,
among these being the parents of the
two girls who were victims of the
attack.
The evidence included testimony
of finding buttons from a shirt that
Price is claimed to have wora on the J
night of the crime, in the ashes of a
stove, as well as the statement of Mrs.
Graham that she had not burned any
clothing there.
Ray Johnson, a trapper, told of
having met Price on the bank of Keg
creek, and said Price had been plan
ning to move to Plattsmouth but
hadn't been able to decide "what to
do about those two girls."
OLD TIME VATrarr. PLAYER
In discussing the popularity of
the marble game among the Omaha
school pupils, B. P. Sylvester in his
"Home Town" column, has an inter
esting story of the activities of a
former Plattsmouth resident, Clyde
Drew, who lived here in his youthful
days in the eighties:
Clyde Drew has a collection of
about a hundred agates from hia
marble-shooting days at Plattsmouth,
the "moons" on some testifying to
their service. Mr. Drew has them in
a large leather sack in his safe. Oc
casionally he opens the sack and lets
the brilliant things run through his
fingers.
Hero at Schools.
When he visits the schools, as he
sometimes does for Rotary, he takes
along his marbles, and a baseball
autographed by Babe Ruth at a
world's series, and Is a hero.
Mr. Drew played marbles with his
sons up to a few years ago when
they became pretty good and the
agate collection was in danger. Un
til recently, when traveling over the
Btate he would appear at school
grounds about 8:30 and edge himself
into the game, first buying 20 marbles
from one of the boys. He usually
was the best shooter and by bell
time might have won most of the
marbles, without a squawk from any
small competitor. Then he would
divide up all around and go about
his business.
Mr. Drew showed us that, though
practically retired, he still is good.
He placed an Imaginary marble on
the floor of his office, selected a fine
tiger-eye agate, knuckled down three
feet away, and let fly. The agate hit
true and the Immy went across the
room.
GOLFERS READY TO GO
The Plattsmouth Golf club officers
have secured the lease of the ground
on which the course is located, from
the committee representing the bond
holders, and are now ready to start
the season. The club house and
grounds will be In the care of L L
McCarty and family who have oper
ated the plant so successfully in the
past few years.
I-- opening of the spring weather
has tempted a number of the golf
enthusiasts to the eourse to start
their warming up for the coming
season.
RETURN RUNAWAY GIRL
Prom Thursdays Dally
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Walling
early this morning was called to the
Missouri Pacific depot to secure a
15-ycar-old girl who had ran away
from home and was reported to be
on the northbound passenger train
due here at 6:12. The girl was lo
cated and held here until later in
the morning when her parents came
up and returned her to her home.
The girl stated that she had intend
ed to go to Omaha and if possible go
on to Colorado where she has an
uncle living.
Union Scene of
a Small Riot Sat
urday Evening
Two Men Stabbed, and One Severely
Beaten as River Workers En
gage in Street Battle.
The village of Union was the scene
of a small sized riot on Saturday
night when a group of the men
brought to this locality for river work
engaged in a cutting and fighting
bout on the 6treets there and which
brought calls for the county officers
to assist in rounding up the men.
The affair started by disputes
among the men in one of the taverns
and from which they were ejected
onto the streets and where it Is
claimed that one of the men proceed
ed to pull a knife and playfully
started to whittle up on two of his
playmates, one man named Neal, suf
fering a gash in the neck and another
named Hulen. severe cuts on the
hands.
Later, it is alleged the members
of the party that had fared the worst
in the opening round of the battle,
"took" Joe Bottom, who It was
charged had done the knife work.
Bottom was beat up about the head
and knocked down and his head
bounced on the concrete walk, suffer
ing a laceration on the nose and
both eyes badly bruised and almost
closed by the blows rained on him
by his opponents.
Officer Charles Land took the par
ties in custody and later Hulen and
a man named Kolley, one of tfcosa
not injured, were brought here by
Constable John M. Meisinger and
lodged in Jail and Bottom this morn
ing made his appearance at the office
cf the sheriff, while Neal was still
at large.
The men were all strangers at
Union and Bottom stated that he
had been there but a short time on
one of the boats on the river work.
According to Bottom, he had come
to Union with an aged man and the
others had started picking on the
older man and he had interfered and
the fight was on.
BEAUTIFYING GROUNDS
Sheriff Homer Sylvester has de
cided that the grounds that surround
his residence and the county Jail
building are in need of beautlfication
and accordingly he has started in on
this task. The sheriff at his own ex
pense purchased a large number of
roses to be placed on the lawn at
the north of the building, while
around the side of the building
splrea has been planted to break the
tiullnes of the yard setting. At the
east end of the lot a row of the
Lombardy populars have been placed,
which when they attain a good
growth will add much to the back
ground of the lawn decoration.
County Commissioner J. A. Pitz also
donated from his home a number of
the spirea to be used in the forming
of a border of the lot.
The landscaping and planting has
been under the supervision of John
Hebard of the Marshall Nurseries of
Arlington, Nebraska.
MEET AT FARM HOHE
The St. Mary's Guild of St. Luke's
church have been invited to hold
their Tuesday afternoon meeting at
the home of Mrs. John Terryberry.
All who expect to attend are asked
to meet at the church at 2:15 sharp.
Cars will be provided for everyone
who has no transportation. A short
Lenten study will be given by the
Rector and Important business Is
scheduled for discussion.
"See it before you buy It.
STdltt&S
FEATURING SPECIAL MID-WEEK VALUES AND A
RESUMPTION OF PROGRAM BROADCASTS!
Beginning WEDNESDAY, April 10th, Plattsmouth stores and
business houses will be open each Wednesday evening, through
cut the summer and fall months to provide greater shopping ac
commodation for their patrons, many of whom will be too busy
with farm work to come to town for their trading, other than at
night. Co-incident with this, it is arranged to resume the regular
Wednesday night broadcasts and programs along the same gen
eral lines that have proven so popular in the past. To celebrate
the "re-opening" a goodly number of the merchants are carrying
special bargain ads, listing unusually low prices good on this day.
Read the Ads and Join the iappy Crowd in Platts
mouth Next Wednesday Night, April 10th
Charge Omaha
Men with Auto
Theft Thursday
Murdoch Robbers Charged With This
Offense to Forestall Possible
Habeas Corpns Action.
Otto "Mike" Glaser and Dan Cun
ningham of Omaha, held in the rob
bery of a Murdoch store early Sat
urday pleaded not guilty when ar
raigned late Thursday on an auto
theft charge before County Judge
Duxbury, who fixed their bond3 at
$3. COO each. Their hearing was set
for 2 p. m. Thursday, April 11 -
Arraignment on the auto theft
charge was taken to forestall a
threatened habeas corpus action to
liberate them from Jail, the pair
having been held the seventy-two
hour limit without formal charge
having been filed. County officials
said the pair's criminal record on
file at the state penitentiary and the
state reformatory was being investl
gater with a view to filing habitual
criminal charges. Breaking and en
tering charges will be filed in con
nection with the Murdock robbery in
event the more serious charge is not
justified by Glaser's and Cunning
ham's previous records, officers de
clared. The Omaha men were arrested at
Omaha following the robbery of the
Murdock store, in which vigilantes
fired on the robbers as they emerged
with their loot.
OLD RESIDENT DIES
From Friday's Daily
The death of Fred Denson, 65,
resident of Plattsmouth for a long
period of years, occurred at his home
in Omaha early today after an ill
ness that has covered several years,
he being a sufferer from kidney
trouble.
Mr. Denson while here was en
gaged as a switchman for the Bur
lington in the local yards and left
here some twenty-five years ago for
Council Bluffs, operating a grocery
there over a number of years, later
going to Omaha where he has Blnce
resided.
Mr. Denson is survived by the
widow and two daughters, Mrs. How
ard Cone of St. Louis and Mrs. Henry
Moore of Omaha. There are also sur
viving cne brother, J. E. Denson,
Council Bluffs and one sister, Mrs.
Hannah Cohen of Omaha.
Funeral services will be held on
Monday morning at 9 o'clock from
ard Boke of St. Louis and Mrs. Henry
Burt streets, Omaha.
AN APPRECIATION
The Plattsmouth Garden Club
takes this opportunity to express its
appreciation to the Plattsmouth Cow
er lovers for its excellent response
in purchasing tickets to the National
Flower Show through the local gar
den club committee. 484 tickets were
sold at 40c each, making a profit of
517.20 which is being placed in the
treasury of the Garden Club for such
use as the local club may determine
to be the most useful and beneficial
purpose.
A. H. DUXBURY,
Chairman, Ticket Committee.
PREPARE TO START GRAVELING
The Louisville Transfer Co., who
have received the contract for the
resurfacing of the gravtl highway
from the south end of the Louisville
bridge to Otce, are preparing to start
in on the work. The company expects
to have their trucks ready to start
the hauling of gravel 'oa next Mon
day. The gravel will Jse taktn from
pits near Cedar Creek, Mr. C. A.
Eager, head of the company, states.
It i3 expected that th$ work will be!
completed by May 1st.
Negro Sought
for Robbery Cap?
turedLat Manley
Arrested by Sheriff Sylvester and De-.-
pnty Walling as He Hade His
Way Along M. P. Tracks.
A Negro Identified as Vernon Bean
of Omaha sought as the "Roly Poly"
bandit, who on Thursday pushed and
eJbr wed his way through a crowd of
some 200 men at the Armour plant at
Omaha, to rob a girl employe of some
$C0G, was captured Friday afternoon
at Manley.
Sheriff Homer Sylvester and De
puty Sheriff Walling have been look
ing over the lines of travel in this
county, as the man was reported to
have left Omaha and headed south.
They had visited the vicinity of
Louisville yesterday and in company
with Omaha officers started south
in the direction of Manley, following
the line or the Missouri Pacific along
which it had been reported that the
Negro had been seen, he being re
ported in the vicinity of Louisville.
The officers scattered out to search
the country and about two miles
south of Manley the Negro was
sighted by Deputy Sheriff Walling
who halted the man and placed him
under arrest and held him until the
other officers came up.
The Negro when captured had
some $300 of the stolen money on
his person and which with the pris
oner was turned over to the Omaha
officers who returned him to that
city.
ELECTED TO WORLD MEET
From the Microphone, the official
paper of the Omaha Business and
Professional Yeoman's club:
"Miss Marie E. Kaufmann, of
Plattsmouth. Nebraska, at one time
president of the Plattsmouth Busi
ness and Professional Woman's club,
and with whom many of us are per
sonally acquainted, has been elected
delegate to the World Federation
Educational Association, meeting at
Oxford. England, August 10th to
17th. Miss Kaurmann will take an
active part in the Visual Educational
Department. Miss Kaufmann was
formerly penmanship and art super
visor in the Plattsmouth schools, but
now is a representative of the Archer
Travel Service."
UNDERGOES TONSILECTOMY
Miss Betty Bulin of this city un
derwent a tonsilectomy Friday at
the office of a local physician, as
she has not been In the best of health
for some time. The patient is now
doing nicely and in a few days will
be able to resume her usual activ
lties.
AY HI8HT
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Chamber of
Commerce Ha
IS
a Busy Session
Hear Discussion of Plans for Boys
Camp Near Here To Tat Up
Iatter of Kail Service.
The Chamber of Commerce held
their regular meeting Thursday at
the Stewart cafe where there were a
number of matters of importance
brought up for discussion by the
members. .
Superintendent Kaser of the Boys'
camp north of this .city, was . present
and gave aoma Tejry interesting facts
as to the camp activities and the
plans for the future conduct of the
plant. The camp will farm some 160
acres which will comprise grain crops
as- well as extensive vegetable gar
den, maintain a large dairy herd and
which will serve the camp with milk.
He also touched on the educational
program that is conducted at the
Bellevue vocational school. Other
plan3 are in prospect for the camp
for the coming year was also dis
cusaed. The Chamber of Commerce is to
have an active committee to take up
with the postal department the mat
ter of mail service to this city which
has been badly crippled in the change
of time of the Missouri Pacific trains
and the adoption of a new schedule
that eliminates mail to the north
and west after noon.
The Chamber of Commerce was
pleased with the information that
there will be a Happy Hundred sup
per held in April, Governor Roy L.
Cochran having promised to be at
4
this event and meet the residents of
this community where he has been
such a popular favorite in the years
that he has been in the service of
the state.
Searl S. Davis also gave a short
talk on the program of the AAA
which was working a hardship on
many of the small grain farmers by
the conflicting rulings made as to
the planting of crops.
The Chamber of Commerce also
took recognition of the forthcoming
fiftieth anniversary of the Platts
mouth public library which is to be
hold on April 11th and in which the
community is joining as a recogni
tion of the many years of service and
as a tribute to Miss Olive Jones, as
sociated with the library since its
establishment.
Those present as guests of the oc
casion were J. F. Knecht, South Bend
merchant and Robert Cray of the
Lincoln Telephone Co., a recent ar
rival in the city.
MOVES TO NEW LOCATION
Mr. and Mrs. John Chapman and
family, who have for a number of
years been engaged in farming in
the northern section of Montana, are
now moving to near Prosser, Wash
ington, where they are to locate on a
fruit farm in that section. They are
to have their own new home in one
of the most attractive spots in the
great fruit growing sections of the
Pacific coast. The many friends here
will be interested in learning of their
change of location and the fine loca
tion that they have secured.
TRUCK IS BURNED
From Saturday's Daily
Last night shortly after 9:30 a
truck belonging to the Bitting Lum
ber Co., of Omaha, carrying a load of
tile from the yard at Omaha to Ne
braska City, caught fire north of this
city near the T. J. Will farm. The
driver of the truck had no extin
guisher with him, and at that time of
night there was no passing trucks to
render him aid and he was compelled
to pull the truck over to the roadside
and where it burned. The explosion
of the gasoline tank and the blowing
out of the tires made reports that
aroused the residents of that section.
Dr. George W.
Todd Member of
Pioneer Family
Deceased for Many Years a Leader in
Dental Profession in Omaha, Dies
After a Short Illness.
The death of Dr. George W. Todd,
62, well known dentist, occurred late
Friday afternoon at an Omaha hos
pital where for the past three days
he had been undergoing treatment.
Dr. Todd, who comes from one of
the pioneer families of Cass county,
has been engaged in dental practice
in Omaha since 1902, going to that
city from his boyhood heme in this
city. He was a graduate of the
Omaha Dental college and immed
iately after his graduation engaged
in active practice.
He has been outstanding in the
work of his profession and was the
Inventor of a number of dental in
struments and was constantly en
gaged In research work to advance
the work that he had made a life
study. lie had been in good health
up to the attack of pneumonia and
was to have opened a new 6ulte of
offices In Omaha yesterday.
Dr. Todd was a son of Mr. and
Mrs. E. R. Todd, who came to Cass
county in the early fifties and here
the members of the family grew up
and received their education in the
local school.
He is survived by the widow, and
three daughters, Mrs. Ray Dowlicg,
Misses Harriett and Mi3s Virginia,
all of Omaha. There are also four
brothers, Alonso and Alvln, Ashland,
Russell and T. E. Todd of Platts
mouth. No funeral arrangements have as
yet been announced but the inter
ment will be in the Forest Lawn
cemetery.
HAVE FINE MEETING
The Home Makers Extension club
held a very delightful meeting on
Tuesday evening at the home of Mrs.
J. Howard Davis, with whom was as
sociated Mrs. Joseph McMaken and
Mrs. Robert Hill as hostesses.
The lesson of the meeting, "Safety
in the Home," wa3 presented in a
very effective manner by Mrs. Ray
Bryant and Mrs. Edgar Newton, the
project leaders.
The annual election of officers was
held and the following were selected:
President Mrs. J. Howard Davis.
Project Leader Mrs. Otto Keck.
The members discussed the plana
for the group achievement day to be
held at Murray on April ICth.
The afternoon was closed by the
serving of refreshments by the host
esses. LACK OF MAIL SERVICE
With the change of schedule and
elimination of train service here by
the Missouri Pacific railroad, the
residents of this city find that their
mail facilities to the west and north
have been very badly crippled.
There is now no service for mail
from this city to the north and west
after the noon hour until at mid
night when mall is taken south, later
to be brought back to Omaha in the
early morning.
This train service is such that It
makes a twenty-four hour difference
In the mail sent from this city to
either the western or northern points
and it is a condition that should be
remedied In some manner to give this
city the proper service.
The matter will be taken up by
the Chamber of Commerce to see if
a more equitable schedule of mail
servlee cannot be secured.
Death of Wm.
Balfour at Home
Near Nehawka
Dies Day Before 90th Birthday One
of Tvro Surviving Members of
G. A. R. in Otoe County.
The death of William BaUour. one
of the best known residents cf south
ern Cass and Otoe counties, occurred
on Thursday at the home of his r.on,
Carl at Nehawka, death coming a
day before the 90th birthday anni
versary of Mr. Balfour.
The aged man had been ill for
many months and had been closely
confined to the house for several
years and his going was not unex
pected. He was one of two surviving mem
bers of the Grand Army of the Re
public in Otoe county where he had
retained his membership for many
years.
Mr. Balfour a number of years ago
prepared a history of his life and
which was printed in the Nebraska
News-Press and wa3 as follows:
"I was born In Danzig, Prussia,
April 5, 1845. My parents left there
in 1850. They stopped in Edlnburg,
Scotland, where our relatives lived.
My mother died there and we came
to America that fall on a little sail
ship. Every one had to take their
own victuals on board themselves.
"We cettled near Waukcgan, 111.,
Lake county. In 18C1 my older bro
ther and my father enlisted in the
army. I wanted to go, too, and en
listed in my father's company. Com
pany I, 45th Illinois. We went with
Grant up the Tennessee river to Fort .
Henry and to Fort Donelson on the
Cumberland river. My father was
first .lieutenant and he was wound
ed -at Donelson and again at Sbiloh,
where he got his death wound.
Gets Nebraska Land
"I was takn sick with fever and
was discharged at Chicago in 18C2.
In 1S67 I attended the Illinois col
lege at Fulton, 111. In the spring of
1868 I came to Nebraska and got
land 13 miles northwest of Nebraska
City and have been there ever since.
"I taught school winters and farm
ed in summer for a number of years.
I, with five other young men, with
three wagons, went on a buffalo hunt
in 1S71 up in southeastern Colorado
and western Kansas. We got three
full loads of dried buffalo meat. We
had a horse die 0 miles south of
Kearney. Then we divided up our
loads and we had to walk all the way
home, 220 miles, and we had to push
the wagons up the hills. We could
only get from 15 to 20 miles per
day."
Too Cold to Survive.
In 1930, when he wroto the above
for The News-Press, Mr. Ealfour ex
plained he had had two strokes and
it was very difficult for him to get
around very much.
Another time Mr. Ealfour said
that when he came to Nebraska in
the spring of 1863 he could have
taken a homestead eight miles west
of the land he finally took. "But
the folks around here told me," he
piid, "that no one could live out
there, that they would freeze to
death and starve, as things wouldn't
grow on those dry pra'rks I v. a3 fi.ol
enough to believe it."
Funeral services will be hfld at 2
o'clock Saturday afternoon from the
Carl Balfour home.
Besides Carl, Mr. Balfour is sur
vived by two other sons, Ivan of Ne
hawka and Max Balfour who resides
in California, and two daughters.
Mrs. Ella Kearney of Nehawka and
Mrs. Myrtle Cross who lives in Colo
rado. HIGH SCHOOL LOSES GAME
The Plattsmouth high school base
ball team lest a heart breaking con
test to Weeping Water Friday after
noon at the latter city by the score
of 3 to 2. The game was featured
by the pitching of Harley Streets,
whose fine control and skill had the
opponents well in hand for the great-
' er part of the game. He struck out
twenty of the Weeping Water play
! ers and allowed but two hits. The
game was lost through errors, eight
being checked to the locals. The Plat
j ters secured ten hits but the fast
' playing of Weeping Water prevented
'those being turned Into needed runs
I at the critical stages of the game.