The Frontier.
VOLUME XXV.
TRAGIC DEATH OF
ROBERT B. CEARNS
Twice Stabbed and Survived But a
Few Minutes.
MYRON IRWIN TO FACE CHARGE
Quarrel Near Badger Mills Last Week
Ends in Fatal Stabbing—Story
of the Affair.
A little thingculuminated in an un
fortunate and tragic death on the
farm of Myron Irwin in the Badger
country some forty miles northwest of
O’Neill last Thursday afternoon.
Robert B. Cearns is now in his grave
and Myron Irwin is held under $5,000
bonds to answer the grave charge of
murder. In a quarrel on the above
date a knife in the hands of Irwin was
twice driven into the body of Cearns,
once penetrating the heart and draw
ing a stream of life-blood Qiat soon
ended in the victim’s death.
It is an unpleasant task to The
Frontier to recount stories of blood.
Relatives of Irwin were in O’Neill
Monday to see the prisoner but were
not admitted to the jail. One of them
told his version of the story in the
presence of a Frontier representative.
He had not seen the stabbing himself,
however. Robert S. Cearns and wife,
father and mother of the victim, were
in O’Neill Tuesday. A Frontier rep
resentative called upon them at the
office of L. C. Chapman. Mr. Cearns,
a man of large and rugged frame,
with silvery hair and marks of years
and toil, told his story with quivering
lip and suppressed emotion.
From these and other sources it is
learned that Irwin had made some re
mark to Robert Rumsey, a neighbor of
both the Cearns and Irwins, that
Robert Cearns (junior) was going to
“lick him (Rumsey) on sight.” On
last Wednesday the three were in Butte
when Rumsey met Cearns and wanted
to settle it with a light. Cearns, it
seems, avoided getting into a fight,
denying he had said any such thing
to Irwin and agreeing to face Irwin
with Rumsey and get an explanation.
Irwin could not be found, so the mat
ter was dropped until evening. Cearns
and some friends that were in town
with him remained in Butte to hear a
trial that was in progressun court and
while in the courthouse that night
listening to the trial Irwin and Rum
sey came to the courthouse yard and
sent a boy in to have Cearns come out.
Fearing to meet the two men in the
darkness and also listening to the ad
vice of friends, Cearns did not go out
to meet them.
He remained in Butte that night,
starting home in the morning and ar
riving there a little after noon. Short
ly after his arrival home Rumsey
drove up to the Cearns place and was
talking over the affair with Robert
when a prairie fire was discovered on
the Irwin place just north of them.
Rumsey was in a buggy and started at
once for the fire. Robert Cearns, his
brother John and their father and
their cousin John Smith got a team
and wagon ready as quickly as possible
and hastened to the fire. During the
fire flighting the crowd became some
what scattered, Irwin, Rumsey and
John Smith being at a distance from
the Cearns’. After the fire was ex
tinguished young Cearns told his fath
er he wanted to see Irwin and went
with his brother to where Irwin,
Rumesy and Smith were,Heaving his
father to hitch the team from the
plow to the wagon.
The old gentleman had just got-the
horses hitched onto* the Jwagon and
the plow loaded when his son John
came running to the top of hill that
stood between him and the rest of the
crowd and shouted:
“Come quick, Bob has been|stab
bed.”
He drove to the scene as fast as the
horses could run and found his son
lying on the ground unable to rise
witli his cousin supporting his head.
Another brother of young Cearns came
L on the run with a team and buggy and
v' into this the victim was loaded and
taken home, life being extinct when
they reached the door.
There were three witnesses of the
stabbing, Robert Rumsey, John
Cearns and John Smith. The Irwins
claim that Cearns struck and kicked
Irwin as he was sitting down; that a
fight ensued in which Irwin drew a
knife and stabbed in self defense. John
Cearns and John Smithl say that
when their brother got into the fight
with Irwin, Irwin called Rumsey to
help him and that Rumsey got hold of
Cearns from the back and held his
arms and while inlthis helpless predic
ament Irwinl twice struck him with
a knife, coolly wiped the gore from the
blade on his pants and put the knife
in his pocket. He and Rumsey then
O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 1905
I LIGHT UPON THE QUESTION OF CLOTHES I
"T'IIE art of good
-*• clothes is noc at
tained by all dealers.
You find most of the
dealers now - a - days
approach the custom
ers with a great am •
bition that he is go
ing to dress him up
in tine clothes for the
small sum of money,
when it is a false
idea. It takes skilled
mechanics to make
clothes that place
you before the public
appearing as an in
telligent artist in your !
line of business.
The rive designs
shown in our illustra
tion are now in my
stock in the latest
shades and will place
the wearer on the l
top rail of the ladder
.n any stage of life.
The investigation
of the five styles we
illustrate here wilfr
be appreciated.
Respectfully yours,
P. J.
McManus
^^^jyright 1905 by Hart Schaffner £5? Marx
got into the latter’s buggy and drove
away.
They drove to Dustin where the
sheriff and coroner were called by tele
phone. The officers went to Stuart
that evening and drove to Dustin at
once, Irwin being brought to O’Neill
Saturday and placed in jail. Tuesday
of this week the prisoner waived pre
liminary hearing and was admitted
to $5,000 bail, which was furnished.
Wade Irwin and George W. Irwin of
Brockberg, father and brother of the
accused, and E. S. Eves and J. S. Har
rington of O’Neill signed the bond.
Irwin has employed M. F. Harring
ton of O’Neill to defend him and they
will try to show the stabbing was done
in self defense.
The coroner’s jury returned the
following verdict:
State of Nebraska, Holt county, ss:
At an inquest holden at Robert S.
Cearns’ in Holt county, on the 31st
day of March, 1905, before me, B. F.
Trueblood,icoroner of said county, upon
the body of Robert B. Cearns lying
dead by the jurors, whose names are
heretojsubscribcd, thesaid jurors upon
their oath do say that Robert B.
Cearns came to his death by being
stabbed in the heart with a knife in
the hands of Myron Irwin, on March
30, 1905.
In testimony whereof thesaid jurors
have hereunto set their hands the day
and year aforesaid.
C. N. Biglow (foreman)
Jas. W. Zink.
George II. Post
F. F. Wefso
John Fundas
John Staples
Attest: B. T. Trueblood. coroner.
Obituary.
Robert B. Cearns was born in Poca
hontas county, Iowa, on September
20, 1381, died in Holt county, Nebras
ka, on March 30, 1905, at the age of 23
years, 6 months and 10 days. He came
with his parents to this county when
a babe of twelve months and had lived
here ever since except for eight years,
when the family lived in Cherry
county, this state. _ HO Vvas a single
man and had always lived.at the home
of his parents, except last summer
when he farmed for himself in the
Phoenix neighborhood. The remains
were laid to rest on Saturday, April 1,
the funeral being held at Butte, Boyd
county.
Card of Thanks
In the hour of our sorrow' and afflic
tion, words can not express our grati
tude to the neighbors and friends
without whose sympathetic and com
forting words and acts of helpfulness
our affliction would be unbearable.
We thank them one and all for what
they have done for us and most
earnestly hope and pray that none of
them may ever be cast down by the
dark shadows that have entered our
home.—Robert S. Cearns and family.
LOCAL MATTERS.
For farm loans see Lyman Water
man, O’Neill. 38-8
Col. Barney Stewart was up from
Page yesterday.
Editor Miles made a business trip
to Sioux City Monday.
Mrs. E. R. Townsend visited with
relatives at Page this week.
Lots for sale or exchange in all parts
of the city.—E. II. Benedict. 39-6
The Black Hills Northwestern pas
senger train being delayed nine hours
yesterday, the local from Long Pine
was run on Black Hills train’s time.
American steel hog fencing 20c per
rod at Golden & Hodgkin’s. Think
it over. 39-tf
M. F. and J. S. Harrington and E1
Eves drove to Boyd county Tuesday
afternoon.
The Rev. T. W. Bowen will preach
next Sunday at 8p. m. on “Consolation
in Trouble.”
For Sale—2(1 registered Hereford
bulls coming 2 years old.—Hay W.
McClure, Little, Neb. 40-4
Tom Coyne, who has been inArizona
for something over a year, arrived in
the city Saturday last.
Hardware ard furniture stock and
buildings to trade for land. Come
quick.—T. V. Golden. 41-3
Frank Phillips was in from Star
yesterday and says they had an inch
of snow there the night before.
Wanted—At once, a girl for general
house work. Call on or address Mrs.
L. G. Gillespie, O’Neill. 41-lpd
There will be service at the Episco
pal chapel next Sunday morning at
the usual hour, conducted by W. W.
Wells.
Dennis Hunt of Atkinson was in
the city Tuesday assisting in the
erection of a stone at the grave of his
mother.
M. DOWLING, President JAS. F. O’DONNELL. Cashier
SURPLUS. $55,000,001 I
O’NEILL NATL BANK
5 Per Cent Paid
on Time Certificates of Deposit J
This Bank carries no indebtedness of Officers or Stockholders
i i
Tom Shively, an engineer on the
Northwestern, is visiting at the home
of his parents here, Capt. and Mrs.
W. T. Shively.
Lyons Mullen, Mike lloriskey and
Arthur Duffy went to Omaha Tuesday
to take examinations for admission to
the railway mail service.
C. I. Bragg of Burwell has been in
the city this week being an attorney
in the land contest case of James T.
Mars vs. Irwin Darling.
William Ballard of Wood n,ake, a
cattle man of that section, had busi
ness in O’Neill Tuesday and visited
the Cronin ranch while here.
There is a pretty good chunk of a
docket for the district court grind
this term, which begins April 10.
The jury is called for the lltli.
Miss Kittle McLaughlin, who had
been employed the past live years at
the Independent office, departed Tues
day for Omaha, where she expects to
remain.
Hazel Thompson and Irma Curie,
two little girls from Lincoln, relatives
of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Weekes, re
turned home this morming after a
visit here.
The local markets yesterday were:
Stock steers, $4.00; fat steers, $5.00;
Hog $4.75; corn —• shelled, 31c,
ear, 30c; oats, 21c; wheat, 89c; rye,
62c; potatoes, 25c@30e; eggs, 124c; but
ter, 18c.
Henry Grady has his new rig of
regulation build for the rural mail
route and will start out the loth as a
U. S. postal man. Its a neat little
wagon and came from Council Bluffs
through the order of O. F. Biglin.
John Hickey and wife of West Point
are visiting with Mr. and Mrs. E. H.
Whelan. Mr. Hickey, who is the
uncle of Mr. Whelan, has bought from
Frank Campbell the Vaughen and
Kirwan places west of town, and
came up to inspect their purchase.
Taken up—On the Pete Toohill
place on or about Majrch 20,; two bar
row pigs, one black and one red and
speckled. Left ear cropped. Owner
can have the same by proving pro
perty and paying expenses.—C. F.
Bowen. 41-2
_NUMBER 41.
MAYOR DOYLE NOW,
IF YOD PLEASE
Municipal Election Generated Some
Steam and Smoke.
TOWNSHIP HAS GOOD MEETING
And Will Check Up the Books and
See Where They Are At.—Make
Seven Mill Levy.
D. A. Doyle was elected mayor of
O’Neill at Tuesday’s election by a
majority of thirty-five votes, after a
pretty torrid sort of a munici
pal election. Mr. Doyle carri
ed all three wards, the Third contri
buting the largest majority to him,
or eighteen more than Mr. Campbell
received. The Second ward—the home
of both candidates—gave Doyje a ma
jority of one vote and the First went
to him by sixteen.
Ilomaine Saunders was elected city
clerk over Robert R. Morrison by a
majority of twenty-four votes. Saun
ders carried the First by four votes,
lost the Second by thirteen and carri
ed Third by thirty-seven.
James F. Gallagher for treasurer
and O. E. Davidson for police judge
were elected without opposition.
P. J. Biglin was re-elected alderman
in the First ward over Peter Kelly by
a majority of two.
The Second ward alderman contest
was of considerable interest owing to
fact that J. S. Harrington, the pres
ent mayor,had entered the racefor that
place after declining to run for mayor
the third time. He was defeated by
William Fallon by sixteen votes.
The alderman contest in Third was
very close, J. A. Cowperthwalte being
elected by two votes over Jas. David
son.
The vote by wards as taken from
the poll books are as follows:
First. Mayor—Doyle, 59; Campbell,
43. Clerk—Saunders, 52; Morrison,
46. Alderman—Biglin, 52; Kelly, 50.
Second. Mayor—Doyle, 42; Camp
bell, 41. Clerk—Saunders, 32; Morri
son, 45. Alderman— Fallon, 49; Har
rington, 33.
Third. Mayor—Doyle, 55; Camp
bell, 37. Clerk—Saunders, 62; Morri
son, 25. Alderman—Cowperthwalte,
46; Davidson, 44.
The vote on treasurer and police
judge was not obtained as there was
but one canidate for each office.
Township Meeting.
The most largely attended annual
township meeting held in Grattan
township for years was held at the
court house Tuesday afternoon. The
meeting was called to order by town
ship Clerk Carney and on motion John
Kelly was made chairman and Pat
Conley secretary of the meeting. The
chairman announced the first thing in
order was the making of the levy for
township purposes for the ensuing
year. A t this juncture someone called
for a report from the township trea
surer. Mr. Hanley, the treasurer,
made a verbal report to the effect
that he kept no books for the town
ship business except the warrant re
gister. The clerk then read the report
of the township treasurer made on
Janury 21, 1905, which report has
heretofore been referred to in these
columns. Thelclerkthen proceeded to
read a list of the claims allowed
against the township for the past year,
among them being something over
*800 issued to ex-treasurer Pat
Handley for "overdrafts” in township
funds. The claims or records showing
for what purpose the warrants have
been issued against the township
were not present. After some discus
sion and it being apparent that but
little information was being gleaned
as to to the affairs of the township.
Geo. Gaughenbaugh moved that a
committee of three be appointed to
check up the township books. This
motion was amended to empower the
committee to employ some competent
person to check up the township,
books for the past eight years. The
motion as amended carried
unanimously and Patrick Hughes,
II. J. Hershiser and John Coffey were
appointed as such committee.
On motion of S. B. Howard a levy of
seven mills was made for township
purposes.
On motion the meeting then ad
journed to Saturday, July 1,1906, when
the committee and person that is to
check up the township books will
make their report.
Special Teachers’ Examination
For the benefit of those who are un
able to attend the regular examina
tions this month provision has been
made to hold special teachers’ exami- ■
nation on April 27, 26 and 29, when
any who desire may take the examina
tion for teachers’ certificates.
R. E. Slaymaker,
41-2 County Superintendent.