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VOLUME XXVII.
ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 2, 1920.
NUMBER 10.
Mm
REISENWEAVER
TELLS WILD TALE
OF INNOCE
AND SOB SISTER ON OMAh.
NEWS PRINTS IT ALL
Youthful Murderer Talks of Hypno
tist Ioker Flayer and Oonfcs- "
ion Forced by Third Degree
After serving a trifle over three
months of his life sentence for the
murder of William Johnson, commis
sary agent, at Alliance on the eve
ning of April 7 In the local railroad
yards, William RelBenweaver, the
seventeen-year-old murderer, has
given out an interview in which he
Asserts bis Innocence. The Omaha
Dally News of Sunday, December 28,
carries as a feature story this wild,
-wild tale, written in the most ap
proved sob-sister style by one of
those fantastic chumps who rather
like to make a fuss over criminals.
This class of people, by the way, are
helping to empty the penitentiaries
as fast as the officers can fill them.
Relsenweaver, In bis saidy, de
clares that the confession was wrung
rom him after a third degree session
Ha the office of Sheriff Miller, dur
ing the course of which, after being
beaten up, he was promised a light
sentence if he would plead guilty.
Talk of the electric chair Beared him,
he said, and he gave in. The real
murderer was a hypnotist poker
player, a Frenchman, who won all
Relsenweaver's money through hyp
notic means at a game in Laramie,
Wyo., at Christmas time, 1917.
Johnson, the man who was mur
dered, played poker with the French
man and others the night of the mur
der, but he kept his eyes glued on
his cards all night, and was not
under the influence of the hypnotist
lie left the game winner by ?400,
and the Frenchman followed and
killed him. -
The county officers mentioned In
the fairy-tale have had a good laugh
over the article, and have asked
that it be passed on to Herald read
ers, so that they may share? in the
tun.- vi - .. 'i.i
Here's the way the' sob-sister 'de
scribes Relsenweaver: "The prisoner
told the story with all the candor of
an unspoiled boy. Relsenweaver does
cot look like a murderer. His dark
Hue eyes, set far apart, start straight
Into those of the person to whom he
is speaking. His well-formed head
tops well-developed neck, shoulders
and chest- He was a boilermaker's
.helper, and he has the physique of
one. Around his mouth, perhaps,
there is a trace of coarseness. Dut
It is not a cruel mouth." There Is
the usual gulf about tears coming to
his eyes, and the following quotation
Is one of those In which the writer
sought to arouse sympathy: "I'm
only a kid, if I am big. It's hell to
think of living here until I die."
Those who remember the details
of the brutal murder of William
Johnson, as brought out by evidence
of the trial and substantiated by the
testimony of RelBenweaver himself,
will be able to best appreciate the
art of those who are seeking to
arouse sympathy for him. Relsen
weaver was not an adventurous
youth, vlth a love for the excitement
of draw poker, temporarily led
astray. As a matter of fact, he was
arrested, not on a charge of murder,
but theft. With the aid of a brake
shoe and a hatchet, 'he bad forced
his way Into no less than three way-
cars, and had in his possession when
arrested enough sweaters, jack-
knives, tobacco and other merchan
dlse to send him. up for grand lar
ceny.
It was the similarity of the ttreak
lng into the commissary house that
first threw suspicion on him, and this
' was confirmed by the finding of a
bloodstained axe bearing Reisen
weaver's fingerprints on the handle,
marked in the blood of the murdered
man. His story explaining how his
fingerprints came to be on the axe
handle is almost as great an imag
inative triumph as his tale of the
hypnotic Frenchman.
Testimony at the trial and his con
fession showed that Relsenweaver
had purchased tobacco at the com
missary the night of the murder
when he bad in his possession' some
thirty-two packages which be had
stolen. He told of visiting Johnson
at the commissary several times, and
admitted that be believed Johnson
parried larse iumi of money with
him. He forced bis fur Into the
building, robber it. and then, taking
the axe with him, proceeded to wait
for his victim to come, hiding be
hind a gate on the platform. When
Johnson did come, he struck him in
the back of the head with the axe,
went through his pockets, secured
$400,' then threw the axe over the
fence, where It stuck in the snow and
was found by the officers. The $400
was secreted under one of the stand
ards to the viaduct. He afterward
led the officers to the spot, but the
money had disappeared.
story is filled with Inaccur
It also contains an acknowl
that Relsenweaver actual-
1
With
hat Johnson carried (400
'ot "Tls story that he played
poker x night of April 9 must
be a fabr. Jon, for the sheriff's rec
ords show that he was in Jail on that
day indeed, before that time.
At 'any rate, here Is the story, as
The News printed it, and it is inter
esting as an example of Journalism
of a sort. Our readers will know
how much of it is worthy of cre
dence.
William Relsenweaver, seventeen
years old, the youngest life-termer in
the history of the Nebraska peniten
tiary, told an Omaha Daily News rep
resentative that he did not murder
Charles Johnson, commissary agent,
whose axe-battered body was found
near the railroad tracks at Alliance,
Neb., the night of October 9.
Relsenweaver pleaded guilty to
first degree murder when arraigned
in Box Butte county's district court.
His exclusive interview with The
Omaha Daily news is the first time
he has ever made any attempt to ab
solve himself from the responsibility
for the crime.
A man who hypnotized me once
at Laramie, Wyo., is the man who
killed Johnson," said Relsenweaver.
'I met him at a poker game in Lar
amie and later in Alliance. This is
the first time I have ever averted
my innocence. Now I am going to
tell my story."
The boy's face was contorted as
he uttered the statements. He seemed
to be having a stiff struggle with
himself to force the words to his
lips. His Jaws were clamped and the
muscles of his face twitched.
"Can you tell the man's name?"-"
The boy bowed his head at the
question. The contortion of his fa
cial muscles continued. He was silent
for more than two minutes. If he
was acting the part of a hypnotic
subject obeying a post-hypnotle sug
gestion, then he was playing his part
well. Slowly he raised his head. He
said:
"I want to tell you, mister, but I
can't. I Just can't make the words
come up out of me. He's got five or
six names. I know them all, but I
can't say them out loud."
Relsenweaver's head sagged to his
chest again. ' His eyes were dosed.
Again his face gave signs of a men
tal struggle. More minutes passed.
"His name is Jim Small. Another
one of bis names is Jim Reid. He's
got a French name that I can't think
of. I couldn't mention those names
in court. I just couldn't speak them,
that's all. . That fellow hr.d some
mysterious power over me at the
time. No, he was not in the court
room, but I always felt that he was
there."
The prisoner told his life-story
with all the candor of an unspoiled
boy. It is the tale of a young ad
venturer, a boy with a passion for
poker, a chance meeting with bad
companions, a losing game of cards.
midnight walk through a dark al
ley, a blood-stained axe, a murder,
arrest, admission of guilt and now
the prospect of spending the rest of
his life behind Iron bars.
Relsenweaver does not look like a
murderer. His dark blue eyes, set
far apart, stare straight into those
of a person to whom he is speaking.
His well-formed head tops well-developed
neck, shoulders and chest.
He was a boilermaker's helper, and
he -has the physique of one. Around
his mouth, perhaps, there is a trace
of coarseness. But it is not a cruel
mouth.
Tears came to the boy's eyes when
he spoke of his mother.
"When a fellow gets into a mess
like I am in now," he said, "the only
real friend he's got is his ma."
r. and Mrs. Johnny Relsenweaver,
parents of the prisoner, live at Sher
idan, Wyo. The father is a boiler
maker in the railroad shops there.
They have one other son, Johnny Jr.
William says that he was thirteen
years old when he first ran away
from home.
"I don't know why I left home,
either," he said. "I Just wanted to
see the world. I ran away three
times. Each time that I came back,
I was taken into the home Just as
though nothing had happened. I was
sent back to school. Gee, X wish
was back there now. That last time
I )eft home finished me.
"I'll skip over lots of the things
that happened to me. I went to Lar
amie, Wyo., about 600 miles from
my home town. I got Into a poker
same the night before Christmas,
1917, with this Frenchman, who
I Continued on Page i)
! ANOTHER CENSUS
TAKERJPPOINTED
District Suorvlsor J. J. Tooley Meets
With Directors of Alliance
Community Club
J. J. Tooley of Broken Bow, su
pervisor of the census for this con
gressional district, met with the di
rectors of the Alliance Community
club at an informal luncheon at the
Alliance hotel Friday noon. The
matter of an additional enumerator
for the city was suggested, and Mr,
Tooley indicated that he would act
as the club directors recommended. 1
Whereupon, the directors strongly
urged that an additional enumerator
be allowed the city. M. P. Gastin
eau has already received the appoint
ment and the selection has been ap
proved. Beginning today, the enum
erators are at work." In the interest
of Alliance and Box Butte county,
see that your name gets on the list.
CHURCH TO HOLD
A WEEK OF PRAYER
In connection with ' the inter
church world movement, the Alliance
churches have united to hold a
"week of prayer." Services will be
held each night during the week, at
which the various pastors will take
turns in discussing some different
aspect of the movement. All of the
pastors will devote their Sunday
morning service to the big problems
and opportunities offered by the inter-church
program.
Some time soon, a survey will be
made to determine, humanly and sta
tistically, how efficient or inefficient
the rural church In America is today,
and . what readjustments can be
made, especially in Nebraska. Karl
W. G. lliller, with headquarters In
Lincoln, is state supervisor. The
work in Box Butte county will be in
charge of Rev. J. Orrln Gould, and
co-operating with him will be repre
sentatives of the denominations af
filiated with the movement.
The "week of prayer" is practical
ly the first step in the actual work of
the movement. The program followB-
Monday evening at the Methodist
church. Subject, "The Church Awak
ened by Self-examination," the pas
tors speaking.
Tuesday evening at the Presby
terian church. Subject, "The Church
Awakened by a Vision of the World's
Need." Speaker, Rev. J. Orrln
Gould .
Wednesday evening at the Meth
odist church. Subject, "The Church
Awakened by the New Call for Co
operation." Speaker, Rev, A. J.
Kearns.
Thursday evening at the Baptist
church. Subject, "The Church Awak
ened by a Revival of Family Relig
ion." Speaker, Rev. Stephen J.
Epler.
Friday evening at the Christian
church'. Subject, "The Church Awak
ened by the Call for Workers.,'
Speaker, Rev. Mearl C. Smith.
The public is invited to be pres
ent at every one of these services and
get an inspiration for the year's
work.
VAUDEVILLE AT THE
IMPERIAL SATURDAY
The Saturday program at. the Im
perial will be one of the best that
has ever struck the city. In addi
tion to the photoplay featuring Wll
Ham Desmond, "The Mints of Hell,'
there is a Tom Mix film and a Mutt
and Jeff cartoon. Last, but far from
least, there are five good acts of Pan-
tages vaudeville.
Allen & Jones will appear In songs,
dancing and comedy patter; Lee
Monie & Co., an Hawaiian troupe,
will present American songs and na
tive dancing; Jack Polk, te eccentric
comedian, will be there; the Three
Juplters, a feature acrobaLio act and
the Stroud trio in mirth, dances,
planologue and song oddities.
The Stroud trio is composed of
father, mother and twelve-year-old
Viola Stroud, who is a sargeant of
marines, a first class yoemanette in
the navy and a member of the police
force of Oshkosh, Wla. This youngs
ter has a record for patriotic service
that mighty few adults can equal
She has sold seven million dollars'
worth of Liberty bonds, recruited
for the marines 1,700 men. for the
navy 1,400 men; she made flve-thou
sand four-minute speeches during
the war and has turned In $85,000
for the American Red Cross. -
It's gonna be some program, and
yea won't want te miss It
V,H.JILS0N
DIES Of INJURIES
Braketuan, Struck on Head, Suffers
He-lapse His Mother Arrives
Few Hours Too I Ate
W. II. Wilson, Burlington brake-
man whose head was struck by one
of the viaduct beams early Sunday
morning, died as a result of his In
juries Thursday. He had been taken
to the hospital, where for a time in
dications were that he would re
cover.
Mrs. L. M. Wilson of Rldgeway,
Mo., his mother arrived in the city
yesterday. She had been under the
impression that bt wculd recover,
and it was a sad shock for her when
she learned that he had died a short
time before her arrival.
The body was taken Friday morn
ing to Rldgeway, where Interment
will be made.
NEW MANAGER FOR
FOWLER LUMBER CO.
1 1
Floyd Lucas, the new manager of
the Fowler Lumber company of this
city, conies from Russell, Kansas,
where he had been holding a posi
tion with the Mack-Valling Lumber
company. He has been in the city
for several days, looking for living
quarters for his family, and getting
acquainted with the duties of his
new position.
Mr. Lucas plans to enlarge the
stock and make various improve
ments of the local branch. '
AMERICAN LEGION
MET TUESDAY EVE
Plans for Minstrel Show to Be Given
This Blonth First Rehear
sal January 6
The holiday vacations cut down the
attendance at the meeting of Alliance
post of the American Legion at the
city hall Tuesday evening, but a
number of men turned, out.
The proposed state constitution
ryj.'read .section by section, dis
cussed, and the meeting finally voted
to approve the document without
changes.
The minstrel committee made its
report, and Tuesday evening, Janu
ary 6. at the armory, was the time
and place set for the first rehearsal.
Toe legion members are not only in
vited but urged to come out. Every
blooming one of them will be needed
to put on the right kind of a show
and they are all wantdd at the first
rehearsal.
President Earl Meyer gave a re
port of the proceedings at the na
tional convention, and discussed
some of the resolutions adopted. He
urged that every member spread the
news of just what the legion stands
for, there being a considerable
amount of misinformation concern
ing the organization afloat.
A committee of three was ap
pointed to draft constitution and by
laws for the local post. Mr. Meyer,
F. C. Brown and George L. Burr
were appointed as a publicity com
mittee.
TIME TO THINK OF
NEW AUTO LICENSES
Another thing that the New Year
will bring is a new bunch of auto
licenses and the prices this year
have advanced somewhat over other
years. Ordinarily, knowing the
Christmas expenses are usually
heavy, the authorities will not object
If the owner of a car postpones get
ting a new license for a month or so
but It's going to be a little more
difficult to get away with it this
year.
The county treasurer has the tags
right in his office, awaiting prospec
tive purchasers. No longer will it
he a valid excuse to say that you've
paid your fee, but the tag hasn't
shown up.
The last law went into effect on
April 11, 1919; and those who were
foreslghted enough to take out their
licenses prior to that date got off
easy with a fee of $3. After that
date the new rates went Into effect
and there was a lot of howling from
those who had neglected it.
Here's the fees you will have to
pay:
Every motorcycle and every two
wheeled truck weighing less than If
000 pounds, 5.
Each motor vehicle, 1,000 pounds
or less, 110.
For each additional 100 pounds,
THE WEATHER
For Alliance and vicinity: Gener
ally fair tonight and Saturday;
warmer Saturday and ectreme north
portion tonight.
GO cnts. it
Trucks and care equipped to car.ryl
more than seven passengers wljj
charged for at the rate of gross I
weight loaded. . ,
This scale of prices is some higher
than Nebraska motorists have had to
pay In bygone days, but there is a
silver lining to the cloud. Twenty
five cents of this-sum goes to the
county road dragging fund, and the
rest of It to the state highway fund.
The dealers especially have to con
tribute more than usual under the
new law. It used to be that they
would take out one license for the
garage, and the number could be ap
plied to all cars, trucks and motor
cycles, but now they take out two,
one for automobiles and one for
trucks.
CHRISTMAS SAVING
CLUBS POPULAR
The First, State bank reports that
dozens of people aro taking advan
tage of the opportunity to start
Christmas savings clubs. Their ad
vertisement, which appears in an
other column, explains the plan in
detail. So great has been the inter
est in this form of saving that the
bank will hold the offer open for a
week or two longer.
Those who have tried the Christ
mas club plan are enthusiastically in
favor of It. It's an easy thing to save
a little bit each week anywhere
from one cent to $25, and next
Christmas, when the bills begin to
roll in and the need' for money is
urgent, you find at your disposal all
the money you have put aside, to
gether with liberal Interest. Talk It
over with anyone in the bank they
will be glad to tell you everything
about it.
ANNUAL MEETING
OF HOME BUILDERS
The first annual meeting of ' the
stockholders of the Alliance "Home
'Builders' association will be held at
the Community club rooms on next
Monday. New officers for the asso
ciation will be elected at this meet-
ng, and possibly plans will be dis
cussed. ;
No further steps have been taken
the past few days, either toward se
curing a superintendent of construc
tion for the. company, or arranging
for a supply of needed building ma
terials. The present board thought
it best to leave these matters for the
udgment of the elected officers.
Following the meeting, the Home
Builders' will start at work with a
vengeance, subscriptions are Deing
taken in the meantime, and consid
erably over half of the stock has
been subscribed for.
FASHION SHOP SALE
DRAWSJJIG CROWDS
The half-price sale now in prog
ress at the Fashion Shop is drawing
lar ge share of patronage. The
sale will be continued for a while
longer, in order to make room for
the new spring goods which are be
ginning to arrive and which must
soon go on display.
The largest reductions are on
suits, coats and dresses, and the gen
uine reduction means a considerable
saving that careful buyers and lib
eral buyers alike appreciate. In ad
dition, there Is a 25 per cent dls
count on skirts, blouses and under
garments and several other staple
lines, and extra discounts on a few
special articles. It's a good time to
stock up.
JOHNSON-GRAHAM
The marriage of Miss Bessie Gra
ham, daughter of Postmaster Robert
Graham, to Chester Johnston of
Scott8bluff has been announced. The
wedding took place in Denver on De
cember 30. The groom is a son of
J. M. Johnson of this city. He has
been a resident of Scottsbluff for
some time. The couple will make
their home in Scottsbluff.
Mrs. Charles Matthews of Mars
land is visiting in the city at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. True Miller.
R. E. Plumb and President Glen
Miller of the Community club left
for Lincoln this morning, on business
connected with the Alliance Packing
company.
OFFICERS MAKE
NO ARRESTS IN
LACKEY CASE
CWNTY OFFICERS WORKING OW
DEATH MYSTERY
Examination of Girl's Stomach)
Shows Evidence of Strjch- t
nine Poisoning
An analysis of the stomach of
Pauline Lackey, seven years old, who
died in convulsions at the Central
school on December 17, shows that- -it
contained strychnine in a quantity;
sufficient to cause death. ' The anal
ysls was made by physicians at the
University of Nebraska school of
medicine.
The little girt went to school the
morning of December 17, and with
In half an hour after she entered the .
school room, was seized with con
vulslons, death resulting shortly
afterward. Dr. Elnar Blak, who was
called, recognized the symptoms of
strychnine . poisoning, as did Dr.
Hand, city physician, who was called
In. An autopsy was held and the
stomach of the little girl sent to
Omaha for analysis.
The report leaves no doubt that
strychnine was the cause of death
To make doubly sure, an analysis of
the embalming fluid used is being
made.
It is known that the girl at some
candy the morning of her death, but
candy from the same container ha
been analyzed and been found to bo
absolutely pure.
The officers have several other
clues, but In a matter of this kind,
The Herald refuses to try the case
In advance. County Attorney Masyo
and Sheriff Miller are working on it,,
and if sufficient evidence is obtained,
arrests will undoubtedly follow.
There seems to be no 'question that
death came from poisoning, but evl
dence as to the identity of the poi
soner and the motive for the crimo
is not complete.
MISS NELL O'DONNELL
RETURNS f ROM FRANCE
Miss Nell O'Donnell, who has been
with the American Red Cross service
in France for the past fifteen months,
arrived in Alliance Wednesday morn
lng. She arrived In New York De
cember 24 on the U. S. S. Patrla, sail
ing from Marseilles, France, and vis
ited at the T. F. Murphy home la
Omaha for a few days before coming
back to this city.
Miss O'Donnel was stationed for
ten months at Brest, where she was
with the home communication de
partment of the Red Cross. Her
work was the sending of photographs
of soldiers' graves and the writing
of letters to relatives at home, The
remaining five months of service was
in the legal department of the Red
Cross, with headquarters at Paris.
William O'Shea and H. Prague,
the two men injured in the explosion
at Hoffland a few days ago, were dis
charged from the city hospital yes
terday.
ANNUAL MEETING OF
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The annual business, meeting of
the congregation was held at the
church Wednesday evening, Decem
ber 31. The reports showed that all
departments are in a healthy and
growing condition. More than $4,
000 was given for all purposes. The
minister's salary has been raised,
each year and another substantial
raise is pledged for the year 1920.
Nearly two hundred members have
been added to the . congregation
since the present minister came to
Alliance two years and a halt ago. A
budget of $4,000.00 is planned for
the coming year. A five-year pro
gram was adopted which holds be
fore the members a standard to bo
attained.
The church board Is as follows:
Elders: J. C. Hawkins, R. Law
rence and P. Werkman.
Deacons: J. W. Long. E. I. Gregg,
F. Sweet. H. Johnson, O. Stevens, R.
E. Rednall. W. E. Cutta, Wllllaia
McKune and L. S. Adams.
Trustees: II. C. Redenbaugh, W,
E. Cutts and E. X. Gregg.
. The past year has been a splendid
year and the congregation looks for
ward Into the new year with tho
highest hopes for spiritual advance
ment and material growth.