I * ' The Omaha M’orning Bee _ - - tho Kn,unil of expedient). Iheoduie - CITY EDITION _—_- tA -.---- ------....'V~r^T~ __, VOL 54-NO. 233. „ «,<&', FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1925. • TWO CENTS- ‘fliftSS WSX™ ■ - “V* --- - "~" --. -=-1 EdWickham Found Dead in His Horae Millionaire Found Hanging From Beam in Basement bv Brother and Police Chief. Ends Three-Day Search The body of E. A. Wickham, Coun cil Bluffs millionaire contractor, was found hanging from a beam In' the basement of his own palatial home In Council Bluffs at 11:30 p. m. Wednes day. He had banged himself by a small clothesline in a seldom used room, which had usually been kept, locked, lie bad locked the iloor from the in side to prevent interference. The body was found by his brother, l.eo Wickham, and Police Captain J* ^ C, Shafer during a second search of the house made at the urging of newspaper men. The discovery which ended a na tion-wide search for the missing mil lionaire was the outgrowth of a casu al conversation. Leo Wickham, who had been in Chicago at the time the house was first searched, was dis cussing his brother's disappearance with police and newspapermen at the police station. .Second Search Freed. Discussion turned to the fact that no one had seen Wickham leave his home after he entered it at 6 p. m. -Monday. Newspapermen urged Leo Wickham to make a second search. -Mr. Wickham went to his brother's home and asked N'ell Wickham, the dead man's sister, If the house had been thoroughly searched. "Every inch,” she replied, "except the motion picture room, and it's al ways kept locked.” Still unconvinced. Leo Wickham be gan a new search. When they reached the basement they came to lite locked door of the motion pic ture room, which had been fitted up for the amusement of Bernard Wick ham, the dead man's 15-year-old son. Bernard was sent for a key to the room, and when it was tried Leo Wickham found* that the £por was locked from (he inside. Keeling surik that the search was . -Mr. Wickham sent Bernard 1 Nr-ll Wickham upstairs, and led <'apt. .1. C. Shafer. When arrived they battered In the .oat Neatly Folded. , - b™ " mom they found the ^dangling from the beam. One :"c^Hgted lightly on the box which lie had mounted to adjust the rope to * the. beam. After adjusting the noose about his neck, Mr. Wickham had stepped from the box. '■w The knot by which the rope *wa s fastened to the Joist was immediately below the beam, apparently as high as Mr. Wickham cguld reach. On a small table in the room lay thevdead man's topcoat, neatly fold ed. Jt was the coat whleh he was ■wearing when last seen alive, when he left Eugene Sullivan, foreman, at 6 p. m. Monday, after a walk together. Coroner L. Henry Cutler was called and he removed the body to the Beem Belford mortuary. He said no Inquest would be held. He said Mr. Wickham t ad apparently been dead since Mon day. This statement positively refuted i he declaration of Omahans that they had seen the missing millionaire in Omaha Monday night, and the reports that he had been seen In Fremont Tuesday. Failing Health Mamed. Relatives of Mr. Wickham attrib uted his suicide to his falling health He had suffered both mentally and physically under the strains of bust ness and finance and for montha had been a virtual invalid under the care of special attendants In sanitariums and at his home. The shock of the death of Ills wife is believed to have been the direct cause of his act. Mrs. Wickham died as the result of injuries received In an automobile crash Christmas eve. in which her husband's special nurse. Florence Brodahl. was killed. Funeral services will be held at 9 o. m. Saturday at St. Francis church, when Monsignor F. I’. McManus of Kouncll Bluffs will celebrate requiem mass. A number of dignitaries of Catholic churches frum outside Coun cil Bluffs will assist In the cerei*pr>y. Burial will be in St. Joseph cemetery, beside ch# body of ids wife. It was considered certain that the services would he held In St. Francis • hurch, which was erected largely by contributions from E. A. Wickham’s lather, James, and Ills unde. Owen. Tlie church was recently redecorated at Mr. Wickham's expense. • lose friends of Mr. Wickham, fa miliar with his financial affairs, said Thursday that his estate would proba bl.v be more than 31,000,000. Ills attorney, John I'. Organ, nnd r-datives suld Thursday that no will bus been found as yet, and that they did not know whether or not he had (Turn t«> !'»«• Thrrr. Column Two.) We Have With Us . Today W. II. Nlrwirt, i.ravlty, la.. Merchant. Mr. Stewart comas from a rlry of f..M) person* and la In Omaha buying lila spring mn’ihandle*. Ila «aya con dition* In low* for the last faw month* "ha\* not hern tha worat.'1 In tha little city whara ha la In ratad hi* general marrhandlaa alora rlld a bu.atnr** In 1924 of more than I "0,001. I Kick of Mule Is Fatal to Man Special UppJtrh to The Omaha Bor, Beatrice, N e b., March 12.—.Gus Baumfalk, who was kicked in the stomach by a niuie Monday evening while doing the chores at his home near Holmesvllle, Neb., died at a hospital here today. After receiving his injuries, Baumfalk crawled to his house and phoned the neighbors for help. An operation was performed in the hope of saving his life, but of no avail. Baumfalk was 2" years of age and single. Ills father, three brothers and three sisters survive. Death of Victim Elated Griffith, Physician Says mf " “Never Felt Better in My Life," Slayer Suspect Re is.. ported to Have Declared. i - Kimball. Neb., March 12.—With neither the state nor defense allow ' ing the minutest detail to escape un noticed, prosecution witnesses in the l trial of E. I., Griffith on charges of murder in connection with the death of Jerry Mtmdrell in the home of the latter here, February 2, underwent a vigorous examination «ml ... cross-ex amination at today's court session When court adjourned until tomor row, seven witnesses had taken the stand. Sheriff Swanson, among the first to be 'called to the stand, told of the arrest of Griffith and of the defend ant remarking, "X have just shot Mandrell and Mrs. Griffith, and I hope I did a good job of It,” Mrs. Mandrell. wife of the slain man, told of Griffith and his wife entering her home, and said that Grif fith opened fire on her husband im mediately. One Or. Miller, who was sum myied following the shooting, testi fied that Griffith had asked him If Mandrell was dead, and upon being told that he was, replied: “Fine; I never felt better In my life.” Or. Mil ler also stated that Griffith appeared to be In a normal state of mind when he reached the scene, and that the defendant was getting supper when he went to attend Mrs. Griffith, also wounded by bullets from Griffith's gun. All witnesses were severely cross by defense ^nuusel, but Were not shaken from their direct testimony. Griffith and his wife are expected to be the principal defense witnesses when that side of the case Is opened. MARRIAGE CLERK KILLED IN FALL New York, March 12.—Thomas J. McCabe, deputy county clerk, in charge of the marriage license bureau in the Bronx, was killed late today when he either fell or jumped before an elevated train of the Third Ave nue line. McCabe was to have ap peared as a witness before the Bronx grand jury tomorrow in connection with the investigation Into the al leged issuance of marriage licenses to minors. * Supreme Court Justice Tierney, who ordered the marriage license bu reau Investigation, said that the In quiry- had not been directed at Mc Cabe. but was rather a general in vestigation of the under age mar riage situation in the Bronx. NEW EUTHANASIA CASE IN ENGLAND By HAYDEN TAI.BOT, I iilvermil Nervlc# Mtnff I orr»*|M»ndent. London. March 12.—"I did it to put him out of his misery,” declaretf Flor ence Ada Steel, a spinster aged 30, flbei^* *he was charged in Kondon todu^ with attempting to murder her brother, Clarence, 24. who was blind from birth and salt! to be an epileptic. This is the second "euthanasia case” in England in the last few weeks following the release In Farls of the woman who shot and killed her dying lover to relieve him from his Agony. Miss Steel wgs remanded and, ow ing to her physical condition, was taken to prison ten cab. p COMPROMISE IN SUjWJPOll TRADE Keattl^kM^h.. 12.—A com promise li^Sbeen v*Sth‘-#mon*. Nab. . 5) Inairna Adiiaon, Framont, Nab........ Ik Trial of j$j Lease Case Is Tangled Judge \djourns Court to (rive Lawyers Chance to Smooth Out Snarls of Technicalities. “Pivotal Point” Is Out By The Associated Press. Cheyenne, Wyo., March 12.—Hitting the high spots for the first time since the trial began, attorneys In the Tea pot Dome lease annulment case to day brought out the “pivotal point” ir tlie litigation and then wound up 0 the case in such a tangle of ob jections, technicalities ami contentions that Judge Kennedy abruptly ad journed court in the rniddlfe of the afternoon in order to give govern ment lawyers time to get it fresh start. The principal developments were these: The question of admitting bank ac count records of Albert B. Fail, former secretary of the interior, who leased Teapot Dome to Harry F. Sin clair's Mammoth Oil cCanpaiiy, to show In exchange of Liberty bonds between Sinclair and Fu)l was taken under advisement by Federal Judge T. Blake Kennedy. First Objection. J. IV. Ietcev of defense -counsel ob jected to the testimony of A. J. Con way, cashier of the federal reserve branch lxink of Denver, on the ground that it was "double hearsay” because Conway himself did not actually make the records sto which he was testifying. The objection took government counsel by surprise when Lacey declared be could quote suf ficient legal authority to show Con way's testimony was incompetent. When Owen J. Roberts of govern ment counsel told the court he was not yet prepared to cite his authority for so' conducting the examination of Conway, Judge Kennedy ordered an adjournment until tomorrow to allow the government to prepare its argu ment sustaining the calling of the Denver witness. Lacey declared government counsel was asking Conway to answer ques tinns he did not know alsnit, and that such testimony was "double hear say.” He originally bad objected to the Introduction of bank records of Kail's deposits as Inadmissible, on the ground that they had no con nection with the defendant In the case and that they would not be classified as direct evidence. His second objection was that Conway was testifying to records made by other persons than himself and that he, therefore, had no personat knowl edge as to their actual connection with Fall or any other person in volved In the case. IFrishrn Reserved. Roberts had told the court earlier In the day that he w-as questioning Conway and employes of other banka, where Fall's transactions were r quote authori ties. It Is prohiUde that Roberts will be prepared fnr^he argument when court convene* tJ JO b M >ijMW morn* “r ■' r . Jiiir rare jjinzcvji«r{*r. Morton, March . 11?.—Tnw federal grand Jury returned Indictment* agalnat .loaeph l>|t^^Vif Chicago and three employe* at hi* ViqrtBPr J/miir at neterly, ''Imrglnut-auAth^jiig nf liquor, facilitating the;HgBg^g^Jnn and concealment of llqtldr an.TTlli'gal poa*e*Hon. ; ", ..... ..._ * .. — Say* Health SaLihlc. I'iilcugo, March 1". Mealtti la "« 'liable commodity and there I* an eager market for It," l>r. Hundeaeu, (hi. ago health commit met", da ■ lined at the cloalng *e**|on of the nntml congreaa v. Rl*hop, ,11’., formerly Mia* < Until* Gould. daughter of the lata Gauig* J. Gould, gave birth to a daughter. A>fces Mav Be Darned Old Fool/ Says Counsel. “But in No Conspiracy Trial of New York Millionaire on Charge of 'Defaming Character of Pretty Young Wife, Will Be Brought to Close Early on Friday Afternoon. Chicago, March 12.—The trial of \V. K. 1). Stokes 73-year-old New Turk millionaire, and Robert F. r,ee, Chicago negro, charged with conspiracy to defame Mrs, Helen Klwood Stokes, will end tomorrow afternoon shortly after 2. At the end of a full day of argu ments to the jury today, the atter neys agreed with Judge W. N. Gemmill on procedure which will place the case in the jury's hands shortly after the opening of tomor row afternoon’s session. C. F. Rathbun, counsel for Stokes, ad dressed the jury three and one half hours today after Milton D. Smith, assistant state's attorney, had ended a conviction plea oY the same length. Tomorrow Ruthhun must conclude his argument by 11 a. m., after which W. \V. Smith, assistant state's attorney, will ,be given ap proximately one hour and a half to close for the prosecution. Judge Must Kxplain. After the luncheon recess Judge Gemmill will read his charge to the jury. He would not indicate the time necessary for that, but indi cated it would not be Unusually long. The court, in addition to the usual citations of the law, has two diffi cult problems to explain to the jury, the permission to Mrs. Stokes to testify and his statement In open court that he thought the prosecu tion had committed a reversible error In asking the aged defendant unsupported accusatory questions. After M. D. Smith had concluded his arraignment of Stokes as a dol lar marke(^)cti'pus with long ten tacles whitm reached Into the old . underworldj of Chicago and else where to "flirty up” his wife in an effort to fflwter uf> a divorce suit, Rathbun flainled his client ns an “old man obsessed by one idea, that his wife had done aomelhlng wrong,'' and who legally and with out rfial|e held by the new company supply public utility service in 253 commun ities, including the cities of New Or leans, ]-a ; Dallas, Tex; Salt I.ake City, Utah, and Ogden, Utah; Duran go and Montrose, Col., snd Boise and Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Idaho. The electric transmission lines owned and operated aggiegated 3,541 miles and electric distribution systems 5,287 mile*. * Under the provisions of the plan, the Utah Securities corporation will distribute to the holder of each share of It■ capital stock 510 In cash, plus four shares of the common stock of the new corporation. The directors of the T'iah Securities corporation to day approved this plan, subject to confirmation by stockhohlei s at a special meeting to he called laier. NEW SCHEDULE ON SANTA FE SYSTEM Chicago, March 12. Several hour* will lx* cut from the running time of paatenger train* on the Santa F* *n n* in between I’hlcago and the Pacific i'oHfft, l>y a new mhedule effective next Sunday. The time of one pax *cnger train, which depart** from Chi* •ttfo at 10a. in., nvill he reduced 9 hours and 50 mtnutoe, and the mhoctulo of the Mlxalonaiy, one of the night trains from Chicago, will In* reduced 2 hours and f»0 inlnut*** to the il Price Plop*. sltrr> spin t, La , March 12 I'lis plies of smackovsi- and cotton Y a I lay cruda oil. all giadss wss cut 15 cants psi- liarrat. th* Standard Oil oonipan) announced. . g j rfl. Senate Not * to Adjourn This Week World Court. Ule of Pine* and Warren Confirmation l pnet C. 0. P. Plain* for Karly Confirmation. Unable to Conclude Now Washington, March 12.—Develop ments today * with respect to the world court Issue, the Isle of Pines treaty and the Warren nomination were believed generally at the capi tol to have upset plans of republican leaders to end the special session of the senate .Saturday night. The world court question was dis • ussed at conferences both of senate democrats and republicans, with the latter deferring decision as to their course and the former agreeing to Insist that the senate make this mat ter a spe> in 1 Older early In the firs! session of the new congress. The democrats decided also to join forces with the requblican leaders in pressing for an early vote on the Isle of Pines treaty, but glegpite this, one of their number, Senator Cope land, New York, went ahead with his almost single-handed filibuster against the convention. The resubmission of the nomina tion of Charles U. Warren to be at torney general was not discussed at either conference, it was stated, but leaders on both sides were agreed that with this fight reopened, the senate would be unable to conclude the business for which It was called In special session within the next two days. Situation Canvassed. While the world court discussion occupied much (if tile time of the.re publican conference, Its chief decision whs against a proposal to reduce the patronage of the four Insurgents read out of the party councils—Senators I.a Pullette of Wisconsin: Indd and Krazler of North Dakota, and muster a clear majority against confirma tion. After Coolidge had returned the nomination to the senate without comment when it convened at noon, he summoned Senator Curtis of Kan sas, the republican floor leader, to the While House for a conference with himself and Warren. Tlie meet ing lasted an hour and the whole sit uation in the sennto was carefully canvassed. I'pon leaving the White House. Sen ator Curtis said lie tielleved the tmenl nation could be confirmed. Other re publicans did not share Ills optimism, however. Senator Heed of Pennsyl vania. who made the motion Tuesday for reconsideration, saying that he was afraid the appointment would be rejected again by three or four votes. Pome of the otbc- senators who bad advised the president against resub mitting the nomination expressed a like apprehension. Action Kxported Soon. There were Indications that neither side would he disposed to delay a sen ate vote and the consensus seemed to be that action could be had within two or three days. A third favorable report on the nomination by the iudlciary commit te* tomorAwv is the plan, but the sit uation as to immediate senate con sideration j* complicated somewhat by the filibuster on the Isle of Pines treaty. There were suggestion* today tiiat Mt. Warren might be Invited to ap pear before the committee to reply to the attacks made on him in the sen ate with respect to his former con nections with the sugar interests, but there was no official information on .the subject. Chairman Cummin* said he had no Intention of inviting Warren before the committee unlcas lie indicated a desire to appear, and that 111 any eieni the mHtter ons one for the committee itself to decide. RUMOR ON EBERT LABELED HOAX n> KAKI. II. VON WIBGAM), I ahrniil service Staff t arreepomlenl. London, March 12 Fantastic and grotesque rumors and reports now 'irfuladng In Germany about the cause of President Kbert's death ap pear to have reached America. The rumor that President Rbert was poisoned and that German detec-, tlve- have found a due In New York is characterized in high governmental quarters as a "grotesque hoar." Similar rumors have come from German towns and villages where there was also spread the rumor that the German government spent over II,no®,OiH) for the president's funeral. There ts. however, a severe criti cism of the failure of physicians, who had long been treating President Khert, to discover that lie had appen dicitis instead of diagnosing his trouble ns gall stones. list* FU in lluliuii • lutmlicr of |)r|Milit's Rente. March 12. Signor Maffl. the communist deputy, was responsible for an uproar In (he chamber of deputies today, his accusation* tgalnst the fast 1st 1 bringing a mint her of deputies to a brief fistic en-, counter, lie charged the fasdstl with ''enriching themselves ' and with having committed acts of violence. r inn Kcor|igiii;i’>. Neva York. March n‘ - Plaits for II.. t eot-gaiilzittloit of the Flets, hntsnn • ir-ault of tilt or Juloi* KM^hmajin. w #r# j afuu>uth’o«1 In hi* lm*lhci. Max. who i vhalrmftn of th# h«w%rt! of | director* muI ->f th* board m^nagti i 'oseph VMlahirt nil! b« prykltnb f—— Goose Hunter Found Shot, Killed in Barn Special Dtsimtcll to Tile Omaha Iter. Hastings' -Neb.. March 12.—Jo seph J. Daugherty, tenant on one of the farms of the John O'Connor estate, was Instantly killed at noon today by the accidental discharge of a rtlle he was currying. He was found dead In a haymow In his barn. It Is supposed he climbed up the mow to sight some geese which had come down nearby. The bullet entered (be chin and came out back of the light ear. He leaves a wife and 15-year-old daughter. Raiders Lead to Death of Father, Is Son's Charge i Declares Kerosene Pul in Licjnor In Dry Agents t«» Render ll l lifit—Pois oned Aged Man. special l>i ea r. COLORADO LIMITS SERVICE ON JURY l'enver. Colo.. Mart'll I?—Only per sons having knowledge of the Kng Hall language ate eligible for Jury service In t'olorado under provisions of a hill signed today by Ooxerno: ilorley. Tlie measure, introduced in the low er house, was finally .passed in the senna tills week aft. a sharp fight and oxer the opposition x'f legislators who declared that it was a "reflection on the Snanish speaking population, of tlte state " t---‘"“"'s Hie Weather v-/ f M Toi-n « m • M*rch y* p! ft ttrtn mill hll^ij^ij r<« I tut. tot«! *»'«•♦ 1 1 * ri; l»mn i' s* Vt’wiitfmliirr* ». n*. %i- I n • ' * « m. * r m . - « ? * m r 5 r.no . * • m . « r r> j « A. m ot 1 * ft *. o m 15 DdOU t * ...... *1 School Levy Bills Face Hard Fight killt-'l in Committee ami Then Revived by li to 1(» \ ote \\ hen Brought l p in Senate. House Passes Gas Ta^ Ky P. C. POWELL* Stuff ('(irrcxpitwItBt The Omaha Bee. Lincoln. Man li 12.—While Nebras ka's house of representatives wag ad vancing Governor Adam McMullen s hill for a reduction of f: ll)g called for placing flat levies for the next 10 years for build ing programs a| the university and normal schools. The measures were killed in the morning by the -o*nat~ committee on finance after they had passed the house with little opposition. The field occurred when Jeary of Ranch ter moved to place them on general file over the committee's veto. The McMullen forces won by thp narrow margin of 17 to . Hi. Following : the vote * Vole Is ( lose. For the bill: Banning .leary C'hallil-e; « Cooper Bulez.il i 'f k • Byzart I'nbbir.s tlriiwoiil -cot - HnlM-ua Wa-nt Huy.. Against Behrens ft- -* ■ i OoodricU t’oPet tsun Heckt Kh-lleiigr,-y Humphrey Vane* Illlalt Wat»,.n Mibimv.in tViikit s M-a chain Water) Purcell IVfitfd Jeary demanded that i hill "f such j importance should lie considered by The entire senate, rather than u com mittee. lie asserted many fa' ts and figuies were available for both sides in tits controversy and the *ennte Itad a right to ^l-tost them Ix-fore making a decialcA McMullen Work* for llills. Reed of Henderson, chairman of the committee, challenged the legal . right of the state to place any levy or the people for more# than two years. X ‘‘It will be a repetition of our capi I to! levy which promised p., raise only j $3,«00.000 for our new state house and now we ate :isked to ■ vy 13,000.. I * 00 more." Behrens of t'umings said. A ft A the session the senate finance committee receive! an invitation' to call on Governor McMullen. The governor urged favorable con*idera tion. When tlte bills come up for consideration there is certain to a battle royal. The house spent nearly the entire day In discussing the auto and truck license reduction bill. Many amend ment* to cut below the' figures rec ommended by Governor McMullen ■sore pr..p—ed. All s anjerd ments failed. (ias lax Passes Kasih. This bill also provides for Hcens payments semi-annually Instead of annually and forces second-hand ca dealer* tq register all sales and pu- , chases with‘the state department of public works. The bill was one c-t the longest considered at this session The house passed the gasoline ta r bill on third reading by a teje of 72 to 23 ft now goes to the senate The negative votes follow Adam* Iftltot* Aftdf’aon N’«:b«ur Auxl#r Bock OMil!»r Dwtrhar <"Vt*rn*n Hermann John*on «Ph*iar-» S^h^pmin .v«i||n*on (Wuh'i^ Keck Thompim l-au^rren MTiR# Martenion W*|!* Mlt* hell Absent and not voting: Auien Main A a tel l Follcek Hefferaan The intangihle tax bill passed o> the lower house, was re 1st r ted otit by the senate committee on revenue and taxation today. The bill is unchanged, ex- ept for an nmendmeutt by Robins of Omaha which would leave the tax on hank and building and loan stock a* if i* The house. In passing the hill, cite this tax for repeal with all other i' tangible t«xe« l . I\ I OsC* Suit. Special Itispatch to Tbe Omaha flee H -«tii s« Neb . March 12-M s Hess Stanley -f Hastings was glaen a verdict of 14,170 in federal court today against the l'nion Pacific rail Head to cover damages sustained in allghling fn>m a train which she *1 leged was negligently stopped at the wrong place. 8lie asked $2' 000. Summary of the Day in Washington President Coolidge catihinitted t «’ name of Charle* H Warren to l*c At tornev general. The treaaurj prepared an arNtra ry tax aaarsament fx»r Senator Cbux en*. Michigan, Barx'n ven MaJtran. new German ambassador. presented his credentials to president VVolldge. Senator Copeland's filibuster on the isle of Pines treatx threw the senate Into a night session. \ Ice 1‘resident Its we* a me in ?c* a hardnjt In the senate. hosed on his failure tp vote on the \\ .mtn eon hltnatiotl. Senate democrat* m inference x* ed »*« tnd«t en consideration of tM world court question early in the next session. Senate republican* decided again** nedu'’ on of the patronage ot fh* f«ur ins !• ,ems e t* %‘u; of the p d Council* $