All Alliance Will Pay Respect to theate Colonel Roosevelt Sunday at the Imperial
Fhe Alliance oerald
EIGHT
PAGES
LOCAL
EDITION
"THK MINT MAKES MONEY WITHOUT ADVERTISING ; NO ONE ELSE CAN." Printer 'i Ink.
VOLUME XXVl.
ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1919
NUMBER 10
NEGRO PLEAD GUILTY TO MURDER-
EXPRESS OFFICIALS URGE SHIPPERS
SENTENCED TO PEN EOR Lin
DO BETTER MARKING AND PACKING
SIMON PITTS, COLORED ACCOMPLICE, BROUGHT FROM PEN
ITENTIARY TO TESTIFY AQAINST BARBER
WHO SHOT RAY WILSON
SUPERINTENDENT VANCE OF ALLIANCE SPOKE TO ALLZ.
ANCE COMMUNITY CLUB ON WAYS TO EECUEE
BETTER SERVICE IN DELIVERY
v " , Dock Home J
Alfred Sheffield, colored barber,
who wti arraigned before the dls
triot court on Monday morning on
the charge of murder and who plead
kot guilty at that time, changed hla
flea when brought before the court
this morning. On his plea of guilty
ae was sentenced for life In the pen
itentiary at Lincoln, thereby saying
his neck. It is believed that a Jury
would have found him guilty of mur
der in the first degree and that the
death sentence would have been the
penalty.
Sheffield was charged with being
the one who fired the shots that
- killed a white man, Ray Wilson of
Garden county, on a side street in
Alliance on the night of September
20. 1918. Wilson had been drink
ing and had flashed a roll of money
at the auto races. Early that even
ing shots were heard "on West Sec
ond street and Wilson staggered un
der a street light and fell dead. Sus
picion was directed towards Sheffield
and Pitts at once. Sheffield escaped
but Pitts was captured, plead guilty
and was sentenced to the pen for
life, being taken to Lancaster in Oc
tober. Sheffield was captured In Illinois
and brought back to Alliance some
weeks ago. County Attorney Basye
had lined up an array of evidence
against him that would have un
doubtedly caused his conviction on
the charge of murder in the first de
gree. On finding Monday that Shef
leld Intended to stand trial, acting
Deputy Sheriff Charles Jeffers went
to Lincoln and brought back Pitts,
who had confessed in October that
Sheffield had used the gun that caus
ed Wilson's death. Sheffield, on
learning that Fltts had been brought
back to testify against him, changed
kis plea.
Pitts proved rather a hard one for
deputy Jeffers to handle. He told
the deputy that he had all "they!
could give him", and that unless he
was treated tip-top he would refuse
to testify against Shefflefnld. Two
" ffleers till accompany the "iti Order-'
s back to Lincoln.
JOHN W. BAUMGARDNER
DIES IN ARIZONA
Former County Kiiiveriiiteiulent
I lose Unite County PasM
Away After Ixng Illiiets
of
Word was received Wednesday by
Mr. W. E. Spencer of Alliance, of
the death at Phoenix, Arizona, of
hn W. Baumgardner early that
morning. Mrs. Spencer, sister of
the deceased, went to Phoenix about
thirty days, ago when she was in
formed of the poor health of Mr.
Baumgardner, and was at the bed
side when the end came.
John W. Baumgardner, an early
settler of Box Butte county, came to
this section and homesteaded eigh
teen miles from Alliance with his
another. He was a member of the
Masonic and I. O. O. F. orders of
this place and was for several years
superintendent of public instruction
f Box Butte county. He leaves be
sides his wife, two Bisters, Mrs. W.
H. Spencer of Alliance and Mrs.
eorge Williams of Norfolk.
The funeral will be held at Phoe
mix Friday and interment made at
that place. '
PASSENGER TRAIN GOES
INTO DITCH MONDAY
Jt umber Forty-three Jump Track at
Jlyanni Tracks I lad I y Torn
and lyafllc Tied Up
Burlington passenger train num
ker forty-three is running true to
form still and for the third time in
as many months was the cause of a
ceneal tie-up of traffic on Monday
sfternoon and night when it went
into the ditch at Hyannis. The ae
ident happened at the east end of
tke Hyannis yards when the engine
split the switch and headed into the
Biding while the remainder of the
train attempted to remain on the
main line. The steel baggage ear
left the track and went into the
ditch at a rate of speed sufficient to
completely bury the fore trucks; a
rail was iorcd through the floor of
the cur Uad gineral shake-up effect
ed. The baggageman suffered ml
or injuries and was the only mem
ber of the crew to get hurt in any
way.
The wrecker fromthis place 'was
sent to the scene of the wreck and
not before twelve hours was it possl
ble to get things cleared away suf
nclemly or the train to resume its
course.
"A penny aaytd la two pence tint,
A pin a day Is rot a jrzr."
WARM WEATHER
CAUSES SLUMP. IN
POTATO MARKET
MOCF.IPTS OF POTATO HS in bkj
IiOTS AT CITY MAKKET9
CAUSES DHOP
PRICES CHANGING THIS WEEK
Statistics From Reports Show larg
er Stock Held in Storage
Than Year Ago
The warm weather of January
caused a slump last week In prices
on potatoes at practically all the big
markets. The snow and colder
weather of Saturday, Sunday and
Monday caused a change .however,
and prices now are steady.
Much of the 150,000 bushels still
held in Box Butte county 1b graded
for seed. This constitutes about
twelve per cent of the total crop for
1918.
According to the Packer, the mar
kets for last week were as follows:
Kansas City Market Declines '
Kansas City. The mild weather
prevailing over the country the last
month has been phenomenal for this
season of the year and especially ad
vantageous for the movement of
both staple and fresh vegetables.
Loading has been heavy and now the
market points are noting the effect
In larger receipts.
In no other lino has the effect of
the mild weather bven more evident
than in the potato market. , where
the movement has more than dou
bled the figures of a monh ago and
where prices have been lowered
steadily. Supplies of potatoes In
Kansas City Monday and Tuesday
were' herivyretng"13 "'cars' and I 5
cars respectively and with no cold
weather yet to stop the loading, sup
plies are expected to continue heavy
A general -decline of nominally 15
and 20c per cwt has been shown
since last week, and the general tone
of the market continues weak at the
lower prices. Some dealers express
ed the belief that the market had
reached the bottom and could not
go lower, but other thought a bad
slump might follow continued heavy
movement.
Wednesday's carlot sales of sack
ed stock were in accordance with the
following quotations: Northern Ohio
Red River, U. S. No. 1, 11.80 and
1.90 per cwt; .Western Red Mc
Clures. $1.80 and 1.90; Nebraska
Early Ohlos. $1.70 and 1.75; Min
nesota whites and Burbanks, 1.70
and 1.80; Western Russet-Burbanks
$1.80 and 1.90. A car of No.
sacked Green Mountains sold Tues
day at $1.80 pe cwt.
Stocks of potatoes held In consum
Ing centers on anuary 1 were ,144,
185 cwt, compared with 51,889 cwt
a year ago. siocas in wareuoucn
on anuary 1 totaled 301,563 cwt
compared with 296.513 cwt a year
asro. Stocks held by wnoiesaie
growers on January 1 were 236, 4in
cwt, compared with 241.327 cwt a
year ago, the comparative increase
being: chiefly in cold storage utocK
Stocks held by wholesale dealers in
fruits and vegetables are not yet re-
ported.
Chicago Market Ixiwer
Chicago. The slump in the pota
to market continued last week with
receipts running liberal and the de-
mand rather quiet.
The call from the outside trade
has been especially light while th
demand here has remained fairly
steady. The local dealers greatly
prefer bulk stock which, in line with
the light call from outside for sacks
has resulted in bulk selling on a par
and one or two days at a premium
over sacked potatoes.
In spite of the falling off in coun
try paying prices in line with the
market here growers have continued
to sell rather freely and dealers seem
to be of the opinion that the market
will not recover as long as loading
remains so active.
The Triumph seed potato deal has
been very weak. The season for the
sale of Triumphs as seed is pretty
well past but several of the North
ern dealers still have a good many
cars on hand that cost them around
$2.30 last fall against a present very
dull market at $1.80 and 2.00 per
cwt.
Tuesday the market was off 5c
with either bulk or sacked white
stock, No. 1, from nearby states sell
ing at $1.70 and 1.80. No. 1 sacked
Idaho Russets brought $2 and 2.10.
Receipts were 55 cars and a total of
224 cars were held in the inner and
outer yards. h
Wednesday the market was off
(Continued on Page 6)
IKS WANT PICTURES OF
WORLD WAR SOLDIERS
Men Who Have Seen Service Anroad
Mini ThoHO Who Served in
ThW Country Included
The Alliance lodge of Elks has
taken up the task of getting together
collection of the photographs of
all the men from Box Butte county
who served their country In the
world war. Arrangements have been
made with Van Graven, the photog
rapher, to make a picture, of each
man and when this has been finished
here will be made a large conipos
te picture to be known as the Box
Butte County Historical Picture of
the Wrld War.
With this great picture will be tho
name, rank, organization of each and
every man and the, work will be
placed in the archives of the county
court house, a part of the history of
the county.
vlt is no little task to get together
this Information and the lodge re
spectfully solicits the earnest co-op
eration of the men themselves ana
of the families interested. The work
will be of priceless value when fin
luhed to the community and to the
relatives of the men who did their
blt."-lThe-expense -Will b borne by
the Elks lodge.
YOUNG FORGER LANDS
mil PEN QUICK
Colored laborer Wrote Check on
Wrong Hank and CaustYi Sus
picion of Merchant
Wilbur Wright, young colored la
borer, who had been employed by
Contractor Charles Fuller, signed
the name of the latter to a check for
$14.25 and tried to pass the same on
an Alliance merchant Monday after
noon. The merchant had cashed
suspicions were aroused because the
check was written on a different
bank than formerly.
Wright was captured the same ev
ening. He was taken before Judge
Tash Tuesday morning and bound
over to district court. He was then
taken before Judge Westover and
plead guilty to the charge of pass
ing a forged check. He was imme
diately sentenced to from one to
twenty years at hard labor and the
sum of $100 and costs and started
with acting Deputy Sheriff Jeffers
for Lnlcoln that night.
Wright was raised at Chadron and
had gone as far as the tenth grade in
high school.
ATTENTION PATRONS OF LIGHT SERVICE
In order to meet our lamp eontract for this year we
were compelled to make a large order for lamps to get
the larger discount which is jiven. The city handles this '
lamp contract in order to keep ap the street lighting at
the least cost to the tax payers and ean therefore ill af
ford to not sell lamps to the customer!.
On and after this date and until further notice we
will give the patrons the benet derived from' buying
these lamps in large quantities.
10-15-25-40 watt Mazda lampa $ .30 $ .25
60 " " " .35 .30
TypeC 75 " " " .70 .60
" " 100 " " " 1.10 .90
" " 200 " " 2.20 1.75
" " 300 " " " 3.25 2.75
" " 400 " " " 4.30 3.50
" " 500 " " " 4.70 4.00
CITY OF ALLIANCE.
DISTRICT COURT .
GRINDS OUT CASES
(Vurt Started Monday Morning and
Will Irohftbly Otntlniio Vntll
t the lnt of Next Week
The February term of district
court for Box Butte county began
Monday morning with Judge W. JI.
Westover presiding. The list of
cases on the docket this term is rath
er long and court Is expected to last
until the last of next week.
Charles Brown, colored, charged
with wielding a knife which caused
serious Injury to another colored
..I '-1 ..!!... . A ... .1. H .1
llllill, IllfBU P.UMIJT IU UIHHIUIl Bill uui-
tery. A fine of $100 and costs was
imposed and Brown promised to
leave the country.
The case of M. C. Woodley, charg
ed with selling liquor, was dismiss
ed. The parties concerned were col
ored and most of the witnesses had
left for parts unknown.
Oswald Klttelman, German farm
er charged with rape on his daugh
ter, plead guilty ta the charge Mon
day afternoon and xm recommenda
tion ' of the prosecution the life sen
tence was suspended" during good be
havior The wife appeared before
tbo.-iourt andsaid, Klttelman had
Ix'Cij good since his preliminary tear
ing. There are nine children in the
family,
Tom Farlen, charged with forgery
at llemlngfprd, was not present for
trial, having Jumped his bond o
$300. Fred Mellck of Hemlngford
was his bondsman.
The case of the State vs. Harry
Anderson was dismissed on motion
of the county attorney.
The case of Simon Spry vs. A. B
Wheeler was dismissed for lack of
prosecution.
A number of divorces were grant
ed. among them being: Hannah Sim
mons vs. Rajah Simmons; Minerva
A. Brown vs. Thomas A. Brown
Nels P. Nelson vs. Bessie D. Nelson
, Katherlne Nelson vs. Harry Nelson
Charlotte Coates vs. J. L. Coates
Chloe Sparks vs. Leonard Sparks
Inez Sharp vs. Charles W. Sharp
Eva M. Thompson vs. Clarence E
Thompson: Ida Richards vs. James
Richards.
People who think the present Ne
braska house of representatives
"lopsided" politically because It has
85 republican and 15 democratic
members, should recall the 189
session, when Edgar Howard, who
has Just quit the office of lieutenant
governor, was tho only democratic
member of that body.
"Arolling atone gathers nc moss."
iME GUARDS
WILL CONTINUE
THEIR ACTIVITIES
NO AIUIANUKMHNT AS YFJT FOH
PAY FOK 1-OIJCH DUTY
IN KP1UKMIG
IAD PLANED TO DISBAND
n Accordance With Hequotf. of Jov
crnor McKelvie County Organ
ization Will H Continued
The Box Butte Home Guards met
Friday evening, January 31, at the
call of Captain Roy C. Strong. Al
though an order had been Issued by
former governor Neville demobiliz
ing the Nebraska home guard organ
ization, Insofar as operating under
the statp authority, the new gover
nor felt that the organization should
be continued. 1
At the meeting Friday evening
Captain Strong read the following
letter from Governor McKelvie:
Lincoln, Nebr., Jan. 22, 1919
Captain-Roy Strong,
Alliance, Nebraska.
My dear Captain:
In my inaugural address, I made
the following reference to the Home
Guard: '
"In recognition of the consldera
ble expense at which tho Home
Guards were organized and equipped
and he service which they rendered
at a time when they were greatly
needed, I believe that organization
should be privileged to continue but
without- any authority ot act except
as they may be called upon by the
governor.
I have been awaiting the return
of Colonel Paul who Is In Franco
and who will become Adjutant. Gen
eral upon hi' return before taking
this subject up further. I find now
however, that the Home Guard com
panics are at a loss to know how to
proceed und I suggest to ycu that
your company be held intact await
ing the return of Colonel Paul
Furthermore, If these companies
are to be mustered out, I would like
to see it done with poper ceremony
and with proper recognition for th
service that was rendered by tho
members of these organizations.
Will you
.Itl8 ,hJhi !
ur company so that Ij
status of your
may bring the matter to the atten-
tlon i of Colonel Paul Immediately up-
on his return.
, ' .
The BOX Butte home guards Who
nrtivt.lv tmrt IrirvitoH In tha nnlirlne
........ , ... ,
of Alliance and in nursing and car
Ing for influenza sufferers during
the recent epidemic have not yet re
ceived pay for the time they gave to
the work, hi spite of the fact that
Chairman Robert Graham of the
county council of defense is reported
to have said that they would be paid
for the time spent In this police duty.
The city officials have taken the
stand that the county should pay the
bill, amounting to a little more than
$700. The county officials have tak
en the stand that the work was done
solely In the interest of the city of
Alliance and that the city should pay
the expense.
The guards were called out on or-
der of Mr. Graham ana authority
delegated to them by Mayor Rousey
to police the streets. In order that
the matter may be settled In some
way or another a committee was ap-
pointed to meet on February 12 and
confer with the county commission-
ers. This committee consists of
Hamilton, Thomas. Rbeln, Covert
and Pilklngton.
The guards decided to attend the""" "erwtxier more cioseiy ex
Roosevelt memorial services in a
body on Sunday afternoon, February
9, at the Imperial theatre.
A banquet is to be given on rrl
day evening, February 13, to the
guards. The committee in charge
will be Rodgers and Burrows.
PERCY COGSWELL IS
SERIOUSLY INJURED
Prominent Alliance 5tan Fell Front
Hoof of Porth Shortly Itefore
Noon and Itreaks lllp
Tercy Cogswell, well known Alli
ance business man and prominent
member of the Elks, was seriously
Injured at 1130 o'clock this morn
ing when he slirped and fell from
the porch roof at his home, at 802
Cheyenne avenue.
Dr. C. E. Slagle, who was called
Immediately after the accident,
found that one hi? was broken and
it is feared that Internal injuries
may have been caused ' y the fall.
Mr. Cogswell was suffering severely
from the injuries this afternoon.
Superintendent J. II. Vance, ef tha
Alliance office of the American Rail
way Express Company, JJonday noon
addressed the directors of the Alli
ance Community Club at their noon
day luncheon on the better packing
and better marketing campaign now
being inaugurated by the company
for the purpose of cutting down the
immense loss caused by poorly pack
ed and poorly marked packages sent
by express.
Mr. Vance stated that the Ameri
can Railway Express Company has)
seriously applied itself to the task of.
improving the express service. A
nation-wide campaign is being
launched with' this end in view and
the first subject to receive attention'
Is that of claims. These are the
cause of more waste in time and
money, and dissatisfaction and ill
feeling between shippers, consignees
and the carrier Itself, than anything
else in the business.
On the theory that the best way
to treat a claim is to prevent It, tho
company hopes to do a great deal in
this organization of the service, and
secondly, by the co-operation of
shippers.
If claims, which result from im
proper or lnsuincient wrapping and
marking of express shipments, are
eliminated both the express service,
and the public using It, will be bene
fitted. The bulk of express ship
ments are given to expressmen, in a
short period of the day, and must be
handled at high speed to make train
connections. They must travel wltb
a miscollaneous collection of arti
cles of all sizes and weights and
must be able to stand up for them
selves. Experience has shown that Ship
ments started right hbve an excel
lent chance of going through with
out difficulty. The iuo of sufficient
paper and twine ct good quality and
of strong boxes and crates will ac
complish this purpose, while many
shipments nowadays are not packed,
wrapped or secured in such a man
ner as to withstand ordinary han
dling in transit.
Mr. Vance dlscourneed the use of
older- eH J-fcaa 1 ii ilmw i&i-"
urged the necessity ot shippers
marking their packages clearly and
correctly, alwuys putting- the names
and addresses of both the shipper.
and consignee on the outside, while
in the case of baggage, to place sim
ilar inft-i ...utiou i..slde ot the ship
ments.' All oil marks on packages
or baggage should be removed.
The lue of a single tag is often
responsible for the loss of packages,
through the complete lack of Identl-
Ocallo' " 11 ' 'a When
,n , ,.
ghou,d proTl(Je(, amj surely
faBteue(,. Eighty r,er ceU tf loat
personal bagfeage is said to go astray
iod old marks. All of these cases of
i hia.lpmmlP nn.l lionrr-l nrnraflnn
' . -
iui BuiumeniB lor imnHnuriaiion
by
the express company result In
claims, to say nothing of the annoy
ance and dissatisfaction and waste
of time which their adjustment re
quires. The speaker referred to the "No
Mark" evil as one that "calls for
drastic action not onlv bv ua hut hv
the shipping public." From July
1 to November 38 of last year, the
"No Mark" bureaus of the company
received 127.859 shipments, an av
erage of over 25,500 per month.
which could not be delivered, owing
lo ino fact tnat they were entirely
wunoui marks or identification of
I aV ort. The larger percentage of
"ese comprise Hardware, automo-
owe ures, ana personal baggage,
while everything movable reaches
. bureaus.
,u, rampaign it is proposed
lat al express employes receiving
shipments from the general public
' w111 required to exercise proper
care' ,n the interest of the shipper
wp" a 7, in fernce. This
I, w" '"lvu"f a" receiving
amine the condition in which ship
ments are turned over to them for
handling and will decline to accept
those which in their jsdgment do
not meet the required standard.
The speaker urged the executives
of business bouses to take a person
al interest in their shipping depart
ments, to foe that they are using the
b"st methods In this respect. He
emphasized the fact that the proper
preparation of express shipments is
necessary to a successful business
and require the same personal su
pervision that the owner may give
to his buying and selling.
One reason why express claims
should be reduced is that a ship
ment is never made for the purposo
of having it result in a claim. The
prudent shipper with an eye to fu
ture business wants to deliver the
property to the consignee and the
consignee wants that same property
intact and on time for himself or
for his customer. The payment of
a claim does not satisfy either. A
contented customer is a good asset
to every business and shipments de
livered In bad order or with the con
tents damaged or pilfered, owing to
(Continued on Page 4)