n, jj -J (, M '
AUGUST .10, 190G
A
DESTROYING IMPORTANT EVIDENCE
A sensational affair was that near Greeley
Center, Greeley county, Neb., when representatives
of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad
company set on flro and burned two freight cars
loaded with records. The Omaha World-Herald
printed the first news of this mysterious perfor
mance. Knowledge of the fire was strenuously
denied by Burlington officials, but proofs wero
forthcoming in the shape of photographs of the
remains of the cars and a photograph of one of
the documents which related to a rebate grantod
to a Concordia merchant, J. C. Stewart, this docu
ment reading:
"Beatrice, Neb., March 11, 1904. Mr. Bdw.
Clark, S. C. A., Omaha, Neb. (W. W. J.,' Claim
2317). Dear Sir: Herewith papers in claim John
Stewart, Concordia, for $8.52, rebate on shipment
of produce from points on our Concordia branch.
Our agreement with Mr. Stewart Is to refund
33 1-3 per cent on the charges on these shipments
which move from points within the state of Kan
sas. Yours Truly, "W. W. JOHNSTON."
. The method of disposing of the records was
Bufficient to excite suspicion. The cars were cut
out of a westbound freight and run up to Bel
fast, a station on an obscure siding north of
Greeley about eight miles. This was late Thurs
day afternoon. The cars were pulled out a little
ways, where section men, under the direction
of Roadmaster Burns of Aurora, poured coal oil
through the rubbish and set fire to the papers
and the cars. A breeze carried some of tho papers
a little distance and although the men worked
until late at night to see that every scrap of paper
was consumed and poked out the cinders next
morning, a package of papers was found by "Gar
field Luce, a farmer boy, who refused for some
time to reveal the nature of their contents. The
World-Herald staff man secured a photograph of
the letter mentioned above and the rest of the
papers remained in the hands of the boy for sev
eral days. Witnesses of the fire were found
among the farmers of the vicinity and the iden
tity of Roadmaster Burns was ascertained. When
questioned at his home in Aurora he denied, all
knowledge of the affair and said he did not know
of such a station as Belfast. Later the World
Herald discovered that a telegram was sent to
him the, day after the fire saying: "Belfast fire
O'. K.," and signed by the section boss.
County Attorney Howard reported the affair
to the attorney general of Nebraska and stated
to the World-Herald that he had positive Infor
mation that would convict the Burlington of vio
lation of the inter-state commerce law. Attorney
General Brown reported the case to the United
States attorney general and at the same time
other high authorities were at work. The United
States district attorney's office at Omaha was in
structed from Washington to investigate the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Lane, secret
eervice men, and stenographers went to the
scene. Meanwhile several days had elapsed
and the boy and the county attorney were
the only individuals who knew the entire
contents of the papers which escaped the
fire. When the district attorney demanded
the papers on Thursday, just a week after
the fire, the boy gave them up readily for
the first time, and inspection revealed nothing,
apparently, of inter-state concern. However tho
attorneys and secret service men are continuing
their search.
When the news of the fire was first pub
lished by the World-Herald railroad men and
others were incredulous, as such an affair was
unprecedented. But when the photographs and
stories of eye witnesses were produced the whole
state was mightily interested.
If there were no inter-state records why did
the Burlington destroy two freight cars in such
a mysterious way?
Or why did the county attorney of Greeley
declare positively that ho had conclusive Infor
fatlon with which to convict the Burlington of
violation of the inter-state commerce law?
These are two questions which have been
asked everywhere in this section of the west.
JJJ
.THE 1906 "ARGUMENT"
Pointing out that in the conference between
Mr. Roosevelt and other leading republicans It
was decided that the republican party should
"stand pat" on the tariff question, ue Sioux City
(Iowa) Journal, republican, called upon the repub
lican state convention to say whether it was pre
paring to repudiate Roosevelt by endorsing Cum
mins. The issue in the Iowa republican fight was
plainly drawn. It was the corporations against
The Commoner.
Governor Cummins. The representatives of tho
special interests were arrayed against tho Iowa
governor, yet several republican newspapers
solemnly declared that tho renominatlon of this
man, who Is brave enough to grapple with tho
foeB of popular government within his own party,
meant tho repudiation of tho president who
claims to be tho unrelenting foe of monopoly and
the uncompromising opponent of special in
terests. A few days prior to' tho convention tho
Sioux City Journal said: "Tho republicans
of this state do not desire to cut loose from
tho president." How does it happen that in tho
great contest in Iowa tho republicans "cut looso
from tho president" whon they cut looso from tho
corporations?
Hero we have a puzzlo that needs unravel
ing. How does it happen that in Iowa tho re
nomination of tho governor, who has been bravo
enough to fight tho spoclal interests, moans tho
repudiation of a president who prides himself
upon his anti-monopoly record? How does it
happen that In order to "stand by Roosevelt" in
the Iowa contest, republicans must cast their
votes with the representatives of the- corpor
ations? "The republicans of this state do not desiro
to cut looso from the president." This was tho
declaration solemnly made by the Sioux City
Journal in a plea for tho repudiation by Iowa re
publicans "" of .an anti-monopoly governor. And
this Ib the "stand by Roosevelt" argument with
all its hideousness exposed.
JJJ
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
As this copy of The Commoner may be read
by some one not familiar with the details of tho
primary pledge plan, it is necessary to say that
according to the terms of this plan every demo
crat is asked to pledge himself to attend all of
the primaries of his party to bo held between
now and the next democratic national convention,
unless unavoidably prevented, and to secure a
clear, honest and straight-forward declaration of
the party's position on every question upon which
the voters of the party desire to speak. Those
desiring to be enrolled can either write to Tho
Commoner approving tho object of tho organiza
tion and asking to have their names entered on
the roll, or they can fill out and mail the blank
pledge, which is printed on page 1G.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner office follow:
E. R. Copp, Nelson, Pa. Enclosed herewith
find signatures of fifteen democrats to the pri
mary pledge.
Robert W. Houston, Austin, Ark. Enclosed
please find pledge with thirty signatures. Ami
circulating two other sheets and hope to got thein
filled before returning.
Virgil L. Penland, Mountain Grove, Mo. I
enclose a list of thirty-five democrats who have
signed the primary pledge. This makes 154 I
have sent in. If I live, I will send more. There
will be a democratic victory this fall and a great
er one in 1908.
C. S. Workman, Claremore, I. T. The above
ninety-five have signed the pledge, but I have
copied their names for The Commoner. Please
send them each one a sample copy of tho paper.
SPECIAL OFFER
George W. Garretts, Jonesboro, La. En
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ton, Troup, Toxas, 7; Wm. Penisten, Humboldt,
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Texas, 6; T. F. Fitzgerald, Holloy, N. Y., 13; J.
E. O wings, Milan, Ind., 8; L. T. Halo, Falrmount,
Ind., 9; Cbarlce B. Stllw.ell, Bryan, Toxas, 8; Dr.
Robert C. Milburn, Logansport, Ind., 12; Olivor
Cronk, Springfield, Ma, 8; B. H. Hutchinson,
Lcnah, Va,, 7; C. II. Lofflor, Sanford, Fla., 0;
P. C. Hampton, Llnovillo, la., 7; A A. Nebekor,
Laketown, Utah, 0.
Each of tho following have sent in flvo
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Y. Crawford, Nashville, Tonn.; Edward McDon
ald, Coon RapIdB, la.; D. S. Burson, Richmond,
Ind.; John F. Henderson, Greenwood, Ind.; Sam
uel Smallwood, Ewlng Ind.; W..T. Conner, Guth
rlo Center, In.; R. M. Graham, Norman, Okla.;
Fred L. Scott, Waynesvillo, Mo.; G. C. Mawor,
Oak 'Harbor, Ohio; W. A. Combs, Humboldt, 111.;
J. Y. Crawford, Nashvillo, Tenn.; F. L. Gordon,
Silver City; Miss.; R. F. Nix, Centralla, I. T.; G.
C. Arnold, Palmyra, Mo.; J. W. Parr, Tecumseh,
Kan.; William Hurlock, Canbridgo, Md.; D. H.
Cross, Highland, Wis.; S. A. Guberson, Los Ange
les, Cal.; A. C. Muffin, Sand Ridge, 111.; G. W.
Paries, Lexington, Ohio; Robert F. Coll, Valpa
raiso, Ind.; Glen Morroll, Seattle, Wash.; B. H.
Caldwell, Tyler, Texas; John Abbott, Trilby, Fla.;
John T. Billings, Flora, Ind,; D. A. Jones, Abing
don, Va.,- I. B. Talbott, Akron, la.; A. A. Alraeted,
South Newbury, Vt; H. Bender, Wisdom, Mont.;
Conrad Martin, Delano, Minn.; G. L. Blake, Oro
nogo, Mo.; Herman Winder, Shelby, la.; John
Youman, Westfield, Pa.; J. M. Earnhart, Lebanon,
O. J. Y. Crawford, Jr, Nashville, Tenn., D. W.
Ward, Portland, Ore.; H. M. Russell, Warrens
burg, Mo.; Lloyd T. Everett, Washington, D. C;
J. A. Vaughan,, Birmingham, Ala.; B. M. Bryan,
Alexandria, La.; W. J. Savage, Colma, Cal.; A
L. Bryan, Tenalia, Texas; J. P. Baker, Cheat
Haven, Pa.; Charles E. Fahrnoy, TlmbervIJlo,
Va.; Georgo E. Wolter, Portland, Ore.; G. H. Lil
lard, Norwalk, Cal.; T. S. Cavvood, Cloveland,
Tenn.; John Kincannon, Granby, Mo., S. S. Lcm
ley, Burton, W. Va.; John H. Stone, Kansas City,
Mo.; A. M. Griffin, Carthage, N. Y.; H. B. Han
non, Bryan, Ohio; R. M. O'Roar, M. D Dan
ville, Ky.
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