'NEBRASKA NEWS
GENERAL RESUME OF THE HAP
PENINGS OF A WEEK.
DIES FROM ELECTRIC SHOCK
Fremont Man Falls From Pole Into a
Network of Wires and Body
Dangles In Air for Many
Minutes.
On Wednesday afternoon Frank
Maurer, a well-known Fremont young
man, was electrocuted at the top of
a telephone pole on Main street.
Maurer was working on repairs at
the top of the pole 45 feet above the
ground. He was alone. Suddenly he
fell limply Into the network of wires.
He had come In contact with a deadly
current.
Though fiOO ppople soon gathered,
It was fully half an hour heforo the
body could be lowered to the ground.
It was 20 minutes before the cur
rent was shut off at the lighting
station. During this time the elec
tricity flowed through Maurer's body.
Just, how long Maurer had been at
the top of the pole no one seems to
.know. His body, dangling among the
wires, was noticed by a passerby and
au alarm was sent to the chief of the
fire department, the light company's
headquarters and physicians. Fire
men and electricians came within ten
minutes. Fire department ladders
were put up, ropes were swung over
the cross-arms of the pole, linemen
tied ropes about the body and lowered
it gently to the ground. Considerable
time was consumed by the operation.
When the body reached the ground,
it was purple and blue. The face
was terribly contorted. The Hrst
shock had probably rendered Maurer
unconscious.
JOHN WILSON, JR., IN CANADA.
Lost Son and Heir to $30,000 May
Be There.
County Attorney J. C. Moore of
Tecumseh has received a letter from
W. E. Schulley, an attorney of St.
Johns, New Brunswick, Canada, relat
ing to the late Judge John Wilson
of Tecumseh. Judge Wilson left an
estate valued at ?30.000 for his long
lost son, John Wilson, Jr., in case he
can be found, the man having left
home in his youth and the father
never having heard from him since.
Mr. Schulley has a client in St. Johns
whom he thinks may lie his son.
Two or three years before he died
Judge Wilson visited a clairvoyant
who informed him his win was in the
gold fields of Alaska. The judge
promptly made a trip to the far north
and while lie did not see his son per
sonally, he found two or three men
who claimed to know him. John Wil
son, junior, left home after a quarrel
with his father, and both his father
and mother died greatly disappointed
at not being able to see him again
after they had searched in vain for
him. The son would be a man past
middle age if living now. In five
years the time for him to claim the
fortune, will expire, when, according
to the will, it will go to charity.
DECISION FOR SALOON MEN.
Judge Decides Hastings Councilman
Got Illegal Votes.
A sensational climax was reached
in the Van Patten-Gauvreau contest
for councilman in the second ward,
.Hastings, Friday afternoon when
'.Acting County Judge Ragan rendered
his decision which in substance de
clared 47 of the 294 -votes cast for
Van Fatten were illegal because the
.ballots had been defaced in the writ
ing In names of Rohrer and Dalley for
mayor and city clerk respectively.
Writ of ouster was placed in the
hands of the sheriff to serve on Van
Patten, but Van Patten suddenly and
jmysterlously disappeared. The seat
lug of Gauvreau and the special
.meeting of the council means the issu
ing of saloon licenses.
Big Buffalo Skull Found.
While excavating, George Cyphers
of Valentine, found, 215 feet below the
.surface of the ground, the head of a
monstrous buffalo with horns at
tached. The skull measured three
foot two Inches from the tip of the
horns and each horn is one foot four
inches In circumference and no
doubt a part has crumbled away.
The bones are completely petrified
and on tho broad forehead is a net
work of holes which local scientists
,say were probably made by ancient
slugs and spearheads and this to
!gether with its depth in the ground
.lead peqple to believe that It was
ikllled centuries ago. Old timers say
dt Is tho largest buffalo head ever
iseen and it Is by far the largest ever
uncovered around these parts.
COST EXCEEDS APPROPRIATION.
Increased Expenditures of State In
stltutions to be Investigated.
State officials, it Is announced, will
soon take up tho question of tho
expenses of state institutions. They
will investigate why tho per capita
cost of some Institutions has in
creased during the past six months.
This is generally attributed to an in
crease In the cost of living. Tho in
dustrial school for boys Is one Insti
tution that shows considerable in
crease in the per capita cost. While
some show an Increase In cost, most
of them will keep well within the ap
propriation made by the last legisla
ture, although some will be obliged
to retrench. The appropriation for
the maintenance of the penitentiary
may run somewhat close by the end
of the biennium on account of the un
expected increase in the number of
Inmates. Mr. I lusted of the gover
nor's olllce has compiled reports from
all the Institutions. If the appropri
ations for each institution were ex
ponded in regard to time remaining
before the next legislature will make
new appropriations, 412-11 per cent
of each i nstitutlon appropriation
should be on hand now. The report
of Mr. Husted shows' that of the 13
Institutions, live had less than this
on hand at tho close of the semi
annual period, June 1, and seven had
more.
FIVE SKELETONS IN GRAVE.
E. E. Blackman Makes a Discovery
Near Tekamah.
E. E. Blaclanan, from the Nebraska
State Historical society of Lincoln,
was at Tekamah last week looking for
old relics. He discovered a grave on
Reservoir Hill, west of tho depot,
covered with IS Inches of burnt clay
which contained the skeletons of live
Indians, the grave being about six
feet square and two feet deep. Ono
of the skeletons must have been that
of an Indian chief as the grave was
on the highest point of the hill. Mr.
Blackmail says it must have taken
several days, perhaps months with
tire burning constantly, to burn the
ground to sucn a depth.
lie found two or three lower jaw
bones with the teeth still intact, and
as the teeth were worn off very short,
it. was thought, that these Indians had
lived to be very old. Several dispute
the theory regarding one of them be
ing that of a chief. They claim that
if it had been he would have been
buried alone. Upwards of 25 skeletons
have been dug up in the past ten
years, within 300 yards of the late
Hnd, but never before wore so many
found in ono grave. '
Mr. Blackman also found a finger
ring made of copper and large enough
for the ordimu'y third finger of a man.
He found several beads made from
horn, aud some of which resemblo
shells.
Father Finds His Son.
T. S. Baird arrived home Thursday
with his 15-year-old son, Harry, who
ran away from his home at Elm Creek
a week ago last Monday. The boy lias
caused his parents no little concern
since his departure. His whereabouts
were first learned from St. Louis after
the police of that city picked him up
starving on the streets. Mr. Baird
went there to get him but the oillcers
had released him. He was next lo
cated at Ray, III., from which placo
officers telegraphed that they had him
there under arrest and would hold
him until .Mr. Baird came to get him.
Unknown Man Was Killed.
An unknown man, thought by rail
road men to be a tramp, was run
down and killed in the Burlington
yards at Lincoln Wednesday. No one
saw the accident, and the first that
was learned of it was when yard
men found the remains on the track.
The man was dying then and he ex
pired before the body could be car
ried to the yard olllce. He appeared
to be a middle aged man, roughly
dressed. The car wheels passed over
the body near the waist. It was
thought that he fell between tho cars
to the rail below, while the cars wero
in motion.
John Adair Still Missing.
John G. Adair, a Fremont man who
has disappeared, is being searched for
by his relatives. Adair left for Cres
ton, Iowa, In February and has not
been seen since. He was formerly
proprietor of the Fair store at Fre
mont. Because he had some money
in his possession, it is thought he may
have met with foul play.
Tornado Victims Recovering.
Mr. and .Mrs. John Shively and Ed.
Fussell of Geneva, who were so seri
ously injured In the tornado on Juno
5, are all Improving and It Is believed
they will eventually recover. Tho
wreckage at most of the places along
the line of tho storm has been cleared
ui.
Professor Howard R. Smith of the
University of Nebraska, has just pub
lished a 4115-page hook on Profitable
Stock Feeding. The book is well
printed and full of practical informa
tion on the feeding of stock of all
kinds, especially fat cattle.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL TICKET
For President.
TAFT AS PRESIDENT;
SHERMAN FOR MA TE,
IS REPUBLICAN SLA TE
Convention at Chicago Selects Na
tional Ticket and AdjournsWiId
Enthusiasm on Nomination of
OhioanDemonstration for
Theodore Roosevelt
Chicago. Taft and Sherman.
This Is the ticket of tho Repub
lican party flung to the breeze Fri
day as tho Republican national con
vention concluded with the nomination
of James S. Sherman of New York
for vice-president amid a final roar of
tumultuous demonstration.
Scene of Wild Enthusiasm.
The picture within the walls of tho
vast amphitheater as the presidential
candidate was named Thursday was
one truly gradlose In its magnitude.
In front, to tho right and left, bolow
and above, the billowing sea of hu
manity, restless after hours of wait
ing and stirred from one emotion to
another, was In a fever of expectancy
for the culminating vote. The favorite
sons of other states had been named,
save Knox and La Follette, and now
on the roll call came Ohio.
As the Buckeye state was reached,
the tall, gaunt form of Theodora E.
Burton, with student-like face and
severe black clerical garb, advanced to
the platform to nominate Ohio's can
didate. He spoke fervently, with tho
singing voice of an evangelist, which
went ringing through the great build
ing. The close of his speech of
nomination was the signal for loosing
the long pent-up feeling of the Taft
legions. Instantly tho Ohio delegates
were on their feet, other Taft states
following, while tho convention hosts,
in gallery and on floor, broke Into mad
demonstration. For 10, 15, 20 minutes,
this uproar continued. At last the
tired voices died down to a hoarse
shout, and .subsided.
Seconded by Knight.
TIiIb lull now gave the opportunity
for the speech seconding Taft's nom
ination, by George H. Knight of Cali
fornia, his big, round face beaming
forth on the sympathetic multitude,
and his splendid baritone voice well
ing forth like the tones of a great
church organ. California's tribute to
Taft was brief and fervid. Now there
was another lull in tho Taft movement,
while the remaining candidates wero
placed In nomination.
It was late In tho afternoon before
tho convention, now literally swelter
ing with the intense heat and weary
after nonrly seven hours of continuous
session, reached tho end of tho flood
of eloquence and the decks wero at
last cleared for the culminating act.
A hush of expectancy hung over
the assembly as tho call proceeded.
Hasty summaries showed that Taft
was far In advance. When New York
was reached the Taft column totaled
427. Ohio carried the Taft total to
511, or 20 more than enough to nom
inate. Still the call went on until the
final result was announced by Chair
man Lodge:
"For Theodore Roosevolt, 3 votes;
for Joseph B. Foraker of Ohio 1G
votes; for Charles W. Fairbanks of
Indiana, 40 votes; for Joseph Cannon
of Illinois, 61 votes; for Robert La Fol
lette of Wisconsin, 25 votes; for
Charles E. Hughes of Now York, 03
votes; for Philander C. Knox of Penn
sylvania, G8 votes, and William II. Taft
of Ohio, 702 votos.
A great shout went up as Lodge
concluded his announcement, and with
ono accord tho cohorts of Cannon and
Knox and Hughos and tho other
heroes, Joined In a common tribute for
the candiato of the party.
Sherman for Second Place.
Tho nomination for the vice-presidency
was not made until Friday.
When tho convention adjourned for
tho day Thursday tho situation re
garding second place on the tlckot was
decidedly unaottled, but before the del
egates met Friday an arrangement had
been perfected for tho Taft delegatos
to support Representative James S.
Sherman of New York as the running
mate of the secretary of war.
Three names were placed In nomi
nation when the chairman announced
that nominations were In order. Sher
man was named as Now Tork's choice
by Tim Woodruff, former lieutenant
governor of the state; Gov. CurttB
Guild of Massachusetts was placed In
nomination by Senator Lodge, and Ex
Gov. Franklin Murphy of Now Jersey
was named by Thomas N. McCarter.
Several brief seconding speeches were
mad for each candidate.
When the roll call was begun It was
soon seen that Sherman was the. popu
lar choice of tho delegates. When
enough votes had been cast to Insure
his nomination Senator Crano of
Massachusetts moved that It bo made
unanimous and It was carried with a
shout of approval.
The usual motions of acknowledg
ment to the officers of the convention
and to tho city in which it was held
wore then passed.
Judson V. Lyon of Georgia was
recognized to make tho motion to ad
Journ without day. It was put Into
effect at 11:47 a. m. Tho band played
"Tho Star-Spangled Banner." tho del
egates rapidly loft the hall and tho
convention of 1908 had mado its way
Into history.
Tho second day or the Republican
national convention brought the long-
For VicePresident.
expected Roosovolt yell, a whirlwind of
enthusiasm which raged within tho
vast amphithoator of tho Coliseum for
full 45 minutes Wednesday, and for a
tlmo presented to tho timid tho spec
ter of a Roosovolt stampede.
Tills demonstration was decidedly
the featuro of a day otherwlso notablo
for a stirring spcecli from tho perma
nent chairman of tho convention, Sen.
ator Henry Cabot Lodgo of MaBsachu
otts.
Mr. Lodgo early In his address
launched his sonlonco which electri
fied tho assomblago Into its first roal
demonstration of wild enthusiasm.
"Tho president," exclaimed Mr.
Lodgo, '"Is tho best abused and moat
popular man in tho United States to
day." Tills was tho long awaited signal.
Instantly a shout broko from the gal
leries and was echoed back from the
tloor, at first only a tompeBt of de
tached yells, and cat-calls, and shouts
or "Teddy," but gradually gathering
forco and volumo until It swelled to a
whirlwind of sound and motion, as
delegates and spectators roso en
masse, mounting chairs, waving ban
nors. hats, handkerchiefs, flags, news
papers, anything which could be seized
upon to add turbulence to tho scono.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooc
PLATFORM AT A GLANCE.
Roosevelt
Tho abuse of wealth, tho tyranny
of power, and tho evils of privilege
and favoritism huvo been put to
scorn by him. Wo pledge a con-,
tliuinnco of tho Roosevelt policies.
Anti-Injunction
Tho republican party will uphold
tho authority of the courtH, but be
lieves tho rules of procedure In
federal courtH with respect to In
JuncttoiiH should be more accurate
ly defined by statute, and that no
Injunction should be Issued without
notlco.
Labor
Tho mime wlao policy will be pur
sued to lighten tho burdens of all
who toll.
Tariff
Tho Republican party declares
for a rovlnlon of tariff by a special
session of congress. We favor the
establishment of maximum and
minimum rates.
Money
An expanding commerce . . .
and Increasing crop movements
dlseloso the need of a more elas
tic and adaptablo system.
Trusts
Tho government should have
greater Htipervlslon over corpora
tions engaged In Interstate com
merce. Inland Waterways
We call for a large nnd compre
hensive plan to Improve the water
ways, harborK, and great lakes.
Army and Navy
While tho American people do
not desire and will not provoko a
war with any other country, wo
nevertheless declaro our devotion
to a policy which will keep tills
republic ready nt all times to de
fend her traditional doctrines.
Good Roads
AVo approve tho efforts of the ag
ricultural department In good road
construction.
Negroes
Wo condemn all devices for the
disfranchisement of tho negro.
Republican Policy
Tho dlfl'orence between Domoc--acy
anil Republicanism Is 'that
ono stands for vacillation and ti
midity In government, tho other
for strength and purpose. Democ
racy would have tho nation own
the people, while Republicanism
would havo tho people own the na
tion. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
