DEFENSE RESTS CASE;
KELLY MON STAND
Mrs. Kolly Says Husband “Con
fessed” to Firing Buildings
When He Was With Her.
Red Oak, la., Sept. 22. -The defense
tested today without putting Rev. I.yn
George J. Kelly, on the witness stand.
Just before the defense closed its case
at li o'clock, the prisoner was called
into conference with his attorneys,
while the court room audience sat with
hushed expectancy. It was definitely
decided not to put the preacher on the
Htand. A similar conference at midnight
had ended without the attorneys arriv
ing at, a conclusion.
The defense had called just 55 wit
nesses. Balked at almost every turn in
their effort to prove that another man
committed the Villisca ax murders, the
defense is now pinning its hopes on a
verdict of insanity.
Court adjourned at 11 o’clock, until
Monday, when the state will start Its
rebuttal. It is predicted that the case
may get to the jury late in the week.
There possible verdicts are:
First degree murder with death pen
alty; first degree murder with life im
prisonment; murder committed by in
sane man; not guilty.
Several alienists were on the stand in
closing the case. The last Kelly witness
was Ves Cooney, who took the blood1
stained bed clothing from the Moore
home and who testified that there were
ax marks on the ceiling. The defense
claims Kelly is so short that he could
not have made such dents. Mrs. Kelly
was also recalled to alibi charges that
her husband started incendiary fires.
“In both instances,” she said, "the
fires occurred at night, and I was
the first to discover them, waking
my husband to tell him the facts.
He visited the fires at my request.”
The defense got into the record today
a copy of the order committing Kelly to
the Washington. D. C., insane hospital,
after he had been arrested in South
Dakota for sending an obscene letter
through the mails.
X SOLDIERS ON CHARGE:
-f4-»+
Britisli Front in France, Sept. 22.—
A curious incident in connection with
Thursday’s fighting has come to light.
It concerns the Australians. Their ad
vance was conducted according to
schedule and after they had reached the
second stage of their journey they had
to wait some two hours before going
on. One officer, fearing his battalion
would become uneasy at the delay, sent
up a large number of newspapers and
cigarcts. Word came back shortly of a
queer spectacle of soldiers who had
just finished fighting and were waiting
for more, sitting quietly about reading
newspapers and smoking.
RUSS GENERAL SAYS
HE’LL SERVE AS PRIVATE
Petrograd, Sept. 20.—(Delayed.)—
Boris Savinkoff, former minister of
war, according to the newspapers, has
declared his intention of enlisting as
a private in a "striking battalion.” M.
Savinkoff is premier Kerensky’s strong
man. He was formerly chief of the
government commission with the army,
during which term he successfully de
manded the restoration of capital pun
ishment at the front. Later he was
war minister, military governor of
Petrograd and commanded the troops
operating against General, Korniloff in
the recent revolt.
Petrograd. Sept. 22.—The resignation
of General Alexieff as chief of the gen
eral staff has been followed by the ap
pointment in his place of M. Tchere
misoff, whose predilections are highly
democratic. The appointment of M.
Tcheremisoff is the signal for drastic
reforms, but the immediate motive for
a change in the incumbency of the post
is not publicly known.
Premier Kerensky’s policy will be
executed by the new war minister,
Verkovsky, and the new chief of staff
M. Tcheremisoff.
THREE FRENCH BLOWS
GOST KAISER HEAVILY
Thi3 Year’s Major Efforts by
That Nation Alone Account
for 142,000 Men.
By United Press.
With the French Armies Afield. Sept.
22.—Germany has lost at least 142,500
men in Just three great offensive mili
tary operations by the French in a
single year, according to statistics
made available to the United Press
today
In the Flanders offensive, between
Mercken and Hollebeke, during the six
weeks following July IS. the Germans
engaged 625,000 men. and withdrew 27
divisions because of losses. The custom
of the Germans is to withdraw a divi
sion when u has lost between 2,000 and
3.000 men. Figuring the losses for
these divisions at 2,500 each of the
total casualties would be 67,000 men.
In the same period along the Somme
Germany engaged 31 divisions and
withdrew 22. The total losses were
probably 55,000 men. During and
since the attack beginning August 20,
Germans have engaged 240,000 men
and withdre w eight divisions, or a total
of 20,000 men'.
MRS. LANSING JOINS
OPPOSITION TO SUFFS
Washington. D. Cl., Sel>t. 22.—Mrs.
Robert Lansing, Wife of the secretary
of state, has ac< opted the secretaryship
of the national organization opposed to
woman suffrage, which recently moved
its headquarters from New York to
Washington.
FERGUSON PLEADS FOR
HIMSELF IN IMPEACHMENT
Austin, Tex., Sept. 22.—Gov. James
FI. Ferguson, on trial for impeachment,
this morning went before the senate
high court trying'him and argued that
he be acquitted of the charges against
him.
There wil' be no vote on the de
murrers made by the governor, but on
the articles of impeachment only in
the order in which they were presented.
X NEW GERMAN DEFENSE |
X SYSTEM IS.SHATTERED t
4 --- ' 4
4 By Associated Press. 4
4 British Headquarters in France, 4
4 Sept. 24.—The British vie- 4
4 tory yesterday east of Ypres has 4 i
4 demonstrated the futility of the 4 ]
4 German new system of holding 4
4 the line thiniy with troops scat- 4
4 tered over a great depth and de- 4
4 pending mainly on shell hole and 4
4 small redoubt defenses in place 4
4 of the trenches formerly occu- 4
4 pied. 4
4 The enemy scheme of main- 4
4 taining the front has been proved 4
4 a failure. 4
4 As a result he now finds him- 4
4 self with a shattereds system 4
4 which he cannot replace by re- 4
4 turning to the old plan of hold- 4
4 ing the front line trench strong- 4
4 ly for. If he straightens his line 4
4 it would be blown to atoms by 4
4 the British artillery. 4
t »*»♦« t
TALK OF PEACE
TO OJE PLOTS
Central Allies Accept Pope’s
Proposal So Far as It Does
Not Interfere With
German Aims.
4 Amsterdam, Sept. 24.—Maxi- 4
4 milian Harden, editor of Die Zu- 4
4 kunft, lecturing in Berlin, said 4
4 "he was convinced peace was at- 4
4- tainable this year if Germany- 4
4 promised to waive the right to 4
4 rule Belgium. This statement 4
*• aroused a hostile demonstration 4
4 from the audience and many per- 4
4 sons left the hall. 4
4 4
♦ ♦44444444* 44444♦♦♦♦♦♦4444
Washington, D. C., Sept. 24.—The re- j
plies made by Germany and Austria to |
Pope Benedict’s peace proposals con
tain nothing that will in any way alter
the position of the United States as
outlined in President Wilson’s reply
to the pope.
Washington, Sept. 24.—Germany's
and Austria’s acceptance of the pope’s
peace proffer has failed to swerve the
United States government in its an
nounced determination to make no
peace while the kaiser lasts.
War preparations will go on, the
struggle itself will go on, despite the
Teuton reply. It is pointed out that the
Germans always talk peace with their
mouths, while their hearts plot intrigue.
The Bemstorft slush fund was held up
as a striking example of what peace
talk amounts to. Bernstorff talked
peace, but a peace which would tie the
hands of the United States. Interna
tional experts who had reviewed the re
plies of the central powers believed the
effect of the replies would be:
Made to Blind People.
The German government would go
before its people with a plea that they
had accepted the peace proposal, but
the allies had not therefore the war
was one of defense. This for a time
would place their people solidly hehind
them.
The acceptance would reinforce the
pacifists and quitters on the side of the
allies, in their demands for the cessa
tion of hostilities. The effect on Russia
would be unwholesome, but while the
American quitters would be furnished
with ammunition, they would not alter
the determination of the government.
A third result of the replies is that
they indicate to some that victory is
nearer than was supposed. They show
that Germany is desperately wanting
peace before their losses become over
whelming.
Amsterdam, Sept. 24.—The German
replv to Pope Benedict's peace proposal
declares special measures taken by the
government in closest contact with the
representatives of the German people
to discuss answering the question
raised, proved how earnestly it desires
to find a practical basis for a just and
lasting peace.
Continuing, the reply says that Ger
many fully recognizes with his holiness
the high, peace-producing effect of ar
bitration to decide international dif
ferences of opinion and in this respect
Germany is ready to support every pro
posal compatible with the vital inter
ests of the German empire and people.
The German reply says that the im
perial government greets with special
sympathy the -leading idea in which
his holiness clearly expresses the con
viction that the future material power
of arms must be superseded by the
moral power of right.
Amsterdam, Sept. 24.—The text of
the Kaiser’s reply reads:
"Herr Cardinal:
“Tour eminence has been good
enough together with your letter of
August 2 to transmit to the kaiser and
king, my most gracious master, the
note of his holiness, the pope, in which
his holiness with grief at the devasta
tions of the world war makes an em
phatic peace appeal to the heads of
the belligerent peoples. The kaiser
king has designed to acquaint me with
your eminences’ letter and to entrust
the reply to me.
“His majesty has been following for
a considerable time with high respect
and sincere gratitude his holiness’ ef
forts in a spirit of true impartiality to
alleviate as far as possible the suf
ferings of the war and to hasten tho
end of hostilities. The kaiser sees in
the latest step of his holiness fresh
proof of his noble and humane feel
ings and cherishes a lively dssire that
for the benefit of the entire world the
papal appeal may meet with success.
Kaiser a Peace Guardian.
“The effort of Pope Benedict is to
pave the way to an understanding
amongst all peoples and might' more
surely reckon on a sympathetic recep- •
tion and the whole hearted support
from his majesty, seeing that the
kaiser, since taking over the govern
ment. has regarded it as his principal
and most secred task to preserve the
blessings of peace for the German peo
ple and the world.
"In his first speech from the throne
at the opening of the German reichstag
on June 25, 18S8, the kaiser promised
that his love of the German army and
his position toward it should never lead
him into temptation to cut short the
benefits of peace unless war were a
necessity forced on us by an attack on
the empire or its allies. The German
army should safeguard peace for us and
should p< ace, nevertheless be broken,
it would be in a position to win it with
honor. The kaiser has by his acts ful
filled the promise he then made in 2ft
years of happy rule despite provoca
tions and temptations.
ITALIANS BAG MANY BIG GUNS AS AUSTRIANS FLEE 1
1——■■■ - —--. ..... - -_______I
--T..""."""Vy~S'y.
Guns captured by Italians when Gorizia felL
This collection of miscellaneous pieces of artillery is just a small portion of the guns captured by the
/talians in their recent victorious drives against the Austrians in the Alps. They have been steadily driving
the Teutons out of their mountain fastnesses until now they are within striking distance of Trieste.
NEW CRISIS
IN ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires, Sept. 24.—The cham
ber of deputies has postponed discus
sion until Saturday of the crisis with
| Germany caused by the unfriendly ac
j tion of Count von Luxburg, the dis
missed German minister. This post
' ponement was taken after receipt of a
statement from Foreign minister
Pueyrredon that the government had
received new information which he will
present to the congress.
It was announced that the govern
ment was prepared to take grave and
rapid measures in view of certain new
developments.
A high government official declared
that these measures probably would in
clude an immediate declaration of war
against Germany, to be followed by the
dispatch of troops to Europe.
BULGARIA WANTS
PEACE—PANARETOFF
Minister of Kaiser’s Ally Can’t
Say as to Separate Nego
tiations by His King.
Washington. Sept - 24.—Bulgaria wants
peace, according to Bulgarian Minister
Stephen Panaretoff, today.
Whether or not the sentiment is
strong enough for separate negotiations
Panaretoff said he could not say. He
denied any complicity with Germany in
either propaganda or intrigue in this
country. Hfe made a report to Secre
tary Lansing regarding his govern
ment's views of taking Bulgarian citi
zens in the draft.
There has been some talk of Bulgar
ia’s desire to break away from the cen
tral powers. A Berne dispatch says that
Emperor Wilhelm had gone to Sofia to
smooth out the difficulty.
BLISS CHIEF OF STAFF,
SUCCEEDING GEN. SCOTT
Washington, Sept. 24.—Maj. Gen.
Hugh L. Scott, retired today as chief of
staff of the army, and was succeeded
by Maj. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss.
General Scott, being 64 years old,
had reached the age limit, but Will
immediately bo recalled to active duty
in connection with the training of
troops in this country.
General Scott, who is 64 years old,
has reached the age of retirement, but
he immediately will be recalled to ac
tive service. Secretary Baker said that
for the present the general would be
assigned to duty in connr - tioh with the
training of troops in the United States,
but would not be supreme in the com
mand.
General Bliss has been acting chief
of staff since, General Scott left for Rus
sia several months ago as a member
of the American mission. He also will
reach the age of retirement on Decem
ber 31.
When the American forces begin to
reach France in large numbers, how
ever, a younger officer may be called
upon to bear the burdens of the office.
General Scott’s assignment to duty in
connection with the training of troops,
it is believed, will be followed later by
his appointment to a field and possibly
a division at the front.
ENTENTE ACCEPTS ONE
DIVISION OF CHINESE
Peking, Monday, Sept. 37.—(delayed.)
—The president and the cabinet have
agreed to the plan of sending a trial
division of 24,000 Chinese soldiers to
France if money, equipment and ship
ping are available. The entente allies
nave approved the proposition and
France is eager to receive the contin
gent.
The Chinese probably could reach
France by January 1. An abundant
number of fairly trained soldiers is to
>e made available for the expedition.
The premier is in favor of sending
100,000 men and the provisional author
ities are heartily in sympathy with the
plan if the Canton provisional govern
ment gives its approval to the war with
Jermany.
FLYING STUDENT KILLED.
Mount Clemens, Mich, Sept. 22.—Wil
bur D. Mong, a cadet aviator of Cleve
land, was killed tills afternoon, when
his airplane crashed to the ground on
the government aviation field. It is
said that Mong attempted to loop the
loop too close to the earth.
Booker T. Washington, the great
leader of the negro race, put his ban on
the liquor traffic. He said: "Strong
drink is one of the worst evils that be
set the negro."
BRITISH SEIZE MASS
OF SWEDISH MAIL
Dr. Hjalmar Lundvahn, Special
Pood Envoy Prom Stockholm,
Arrives in United States.
An Atlantic Port, Sept. 24.—Dr. Hjal
mar Lundvohma recently, named by
Sweden as a special envoy to the United
States In connection with shipment of
foods, etc., arrived here today from
Christiania accompanied by First Sec
retary Patrick Reuterswerd, of the
Swedish foreijm office.
A auantity of mall matter, said to
consist mainly of statistics on con
sumption Importation and production of
foods '.supplies of Sweden was seized
by British authorities when the ship
put in at a Canadian port for examina
tion.
BRITISH FLEET
5HELLS0STEND
Haig’s Report Shows All Gains
Held Except at One Point,
Where Portion of Line
Seems in Danger.
British Front In Franc© and Belgium,
Sept. 24.—The battle for possession of
the slight elevation west of Ghelute
was still continuing this afternoon, the
position known as Tower Hamlet being
the center of the struggle. The tide of
the conflict here has surged back and
forth over a narrow territory almost
since the inception of the offensive on
Thursday morning.
London, Sept. 2L—British warships
this morning bombarded the German
naval works at Ostend with satisfac
tory results, it was announced today
by the British admiralty. Three Ger
man seaplanes were shot down by
British airplanes.
Today's reports shows General Haig
to be holding fast to all the valuable
ground he gained in the great attack
in Flanders, on Thursday, in the face of
the most persistent German counter at
tacks. Tl»e Germans heavily Increased
their losses in these efforts, the British
official statement notes, but failed to
achieve any compensating gain.
British Fort in Doubt.
Three counter attacks in ail were de
livered last evening by the Germans.
The third attack, made east of Lange
marck did not have to be faced by the
British infantry the artillery alone be
ing able to cope with it. The others
fail
N energy seemed imparted to the
Germans daring the night, probably by
bringing up of fresh forces, for heavy
fighting was reported this morning in
the vicinity of Tower Hamlets, where
the German resistance from the first
has been most desperate. The British
held fast under this attack, but there
was uncertainty in the early advices
as to the situation on the right of this
sector.
Another phase of the entente cam
paign against German-held Belgium
territory had a development today in a
British naval attack on Ostend. Naval
workB there were bombarded this morn
ing by vessels of the British coast pa
trol with results that are pronounced
satisfactory by the British admiralty.
In the course of the engagement three
German seaplanes were shot down.
FEAR FOR ONE BRITISH GAIN.
By Associated Press.
British Headquarters in France and
Belgium, Sept. 22.—Fighting still is rag
ing today in the neighborhood of Tower
Hamlets which has been the scene of
almost continuous strife since the of
fensive of the British to the east of
Ypres, on the Belgian front, began. On
the left the British line was reported to
lie intact, but no nows of the situation
on the right could be had this morning.
SAYS CHRISTMAS BELLS
WILL RING IN PEACE
Copenhagen, Sept. 24—The Politicken
today prints an interview with Herr
Beube, liberal member of the German
reichstag. in which he pays that he and
most of the German liberals and so
cialists consider that the annexation of
Belgium or the exercise of control over
it would he stupid.
•‘I am convinced that the Christmas
bells will be peace bells," he declared.
Discussing the attitude of Chancellor
Mlchaelis. he is quoted as saying:
“If Chancellor Michaeiis does not
bring out proposals for the democrati
zation of the Prussian electoral system
as soon as the diet meets at the begin
ning of October, lie will find his posi
tion one of the greatest difficulty."
FRANCIS U.S.
AMBASSADOR
IN DANGER?
By the United Press.
Stockholm, Sept. 34.—The American
embassy at Petrograd was under guard
of a large detachment of Russian sol
diers last week ajid for the past two
days the American legation here has
been unable to communicate with Am
bassador Francis. Na apprehension la
felt here.
There were no arrivals from Russia
for the last few days. Ordinarily this
port is filled with travelers to and
from Petrograd.
SAYS WAR PLANS LAY
IN WIFE’S BOUDOIR
Soukhomlinoff Knew Austrian
Agent Had Access to Them .
There, Prosecutor Says.
PCtrograd, (Thursday), Sept. 20.—The
taking of testimony in the trial of Gen.
W. A. Soukhomlinoff, former minister
of war, who is charged with treason,
and his wife, the latter charged with
being an accessory, was finished today.
Madame Soukhomlinoff dramatically
protested against baring' her personal
affairs to the world.
The prosecutor summing up, said the
evidence proved that Soukhomlinoff
carelessly permitted war plans to lie
about the room in his bouse, especially
In his wife’s boudoir, where Herr Alt
schlller. an Austrian agent, had easy
access to them.
"Is it possible." the prosecutor de
clared. “that General Soukhomlinoff
was the only person who was blind to
the things going on about him?"
COMISKEY MUCH MOVED
BY WHITE SOX VICTORY
Chicago. Sept. 21.—News for which
Charles A. Comlskey. of the Chicago
Americans league baseball club, and a
host of the friends of the club had
waited 11 years, came today and Chi
cago baseball enthusiasts began at once
to plan to celebrate the news properly.
President Cotniskev received the re
turns at his ball park of today’s game,
which insured the White Sox the
American league pennant. He was
greatly affected. A telegram urging
Manager Rowlands to buy the members
of the club the best dinner in Boston
was sent at once.
"The fondest hopes of all Chicago,
of a wonderful legion of White Sox
fans and of myself, have been realized
after 11 years of patient waiting,’’ Co
mlskey telegraphed Rowlands, in of
fering congratulations to the players.
Work of enlarging the stands to ac
commodate several thousand more spec,
tators was begun at once. The clerical
force in the office of the park was
swamped today with applications for
seats.
SWEDISH ELECTION CLOSES.
Stockholm, (Friday), Sept 21.—The
Swedish electoral campaign closed to
day with elections In Stockholm. It
will be several days, under the compli
cated system of proportional voting be
fore the results are known, but it Is
already evident from the few elections
that have been held that the influence
of the Argentine disclosures will de
prive the conservatives ol’ the control
of the lower house.
GERMANS GAIN IN EAST.
Berlin, Sept. 22.—Jacobstadt on the
Dvina, has been captured by the Ger
man forces on the Russian front, to
gether with the positions on a front of
25 miles and six miles ileey on the
west bank of. the tlver, army head
quarters announced today.
RUSS FLEE BEFORE GERMANS.
Berlin, Sept. 22.—The Russians after
giving up their bridgehead and the ter
rain it protected fled to the opposite
bank of the Dvina, leaving Jacobstadt
in German hands together with more
than 400 prisoners and more than 50
guns.
TRANSPORT SINKS QUICKLY.
An Atlantic Port. Sept. 22.—The big
transport liner Minnehaha, sunk by a
German submarine September 7, went
down in four minutes after being tor
pedoed. according to Harry Clark, a
veterinary surgeon who arrived here to
day. Mr. Clark said the sinking oc
curred In Bahtry bay. He learned Hi
story from the survl\or$.
[FLEET OF SOBS
SINKS 7 SHIPS
NEARJELAND
Survivors Cautioned to Strict
' est Secrecy, According to
Shipping Men Arriv
ing in America.
ATTACKED AT DAYLIGHT
Massed U-Boats Evidently Had
Been Tipped Off to Sail
ing at Midnight — Two
Plnngers Destroyed.
An Atlontic Port. Sept. 24.—Passen
gers who arrived from England today
on an American steamship brought cir
cumstantial reports that five British
iteamships and two destroyers, out of
& convoy fleet of six, which left Lough
Bwllly. Ireland, September 3, were sunk
by German submarines within a few
hours of the port of departure.
The story was told among others by
ship wrecked seamen, who were survi
vors of other submarined vessels and
by a merchant ship officer, who had ,
been in Lough Swilly.
Attacked at Daylight.
The five vessels, it was said, convoyed
tar the destroyer, put to sea after mid
night and they were attacked by massed
submarines at daylight the following
morning.
The news of the disaster was learned
when the destroyers which escaped put
back to port bringing survivors of the
torpedoed merchantmen and war ves
sels.
"The closest secrecy was Immediately1
thrown about the Incident,” the mer
chant ship officer said. "The survi
vors were given positive instructions
to say nothing about It and no details
ns to the names of the ships or the ex
tent of loss of life could be learned. It
was reported that one and possibly two
of the U-boats were sunk by the de
stroyers.
Washington, D. C., Sept. 24.—Navy
experts regard the submarine situation
as highly satisfactory. Admiral Benson,
acting secretary of the navy, today
stated the percentage of destroyed
ships was even smaller than one-half
of 1 per cent of loss a month ago. —
DRAFT REPORT BRINGS
PROTESTS IN SWEDEN
Stockholm, Sept. 24.—Considerable
agitation is displayed here because of
the report that the United States con
templated subjecting to the draft alien
residents of a military age unless they
leave the country within three months.
Agitated parents of pronounced Ger
man sympathisers are asking whether
their sons, now in America, would be
forced to fight against Germany.
A pro-German newspaper declares
that at least 180.000 Swedes of a mili
tary age are in the United States and
that only a small proportion of them
sou id return to their home. The draft
law has checked Scandinavian immi
gration to the United States, many de
partures having been inspired by a de
sire to avoid compulsory service.
GEORGE E. RICHARDSON
OF LEMARS IS DEAD
LeMsra, la.. Sept. 24.—George E.
Richardson, wealthy land owner and
real estate man, died this morning of
pernicious anemia following two years'
illness. He was 67 years old and is sur
vived by his wife and one daughter,
Mrs. W. A. Coad, of Hull, la.
Mr. Richardson was a pioneer resi
dent. He was instrumental in secur
ing the location here of Western Union
sollege and has long been prominent in
LeMars business life.
LAFOLLETTE’S REMARKS
SIFTED; TREASON SOUGHT
St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 24.—Governor
Jtumquist has announced that it an
official investigation of the alleged dis
loyal statements made by Senator 1*
Poliette at the closing session of the
Non-partisan league's high ' cost of
living conference here reveal that his
remarks were seditious the Minnesota
public safety commission, of which the
governor is chairman, will ask for the
senator's arrest.__
GREECE WILL TAKE
REAL PART IN THE
WAR, SAYS ENVOY
Georges Kcussos.
That Greece is rapidly getting
ready to take a real part in tne Eu
ropean war is the word brought to
.this country by the new Greek min
ister at Washington, Georges Rous
sos. The new minister was for sev
eral years vice president of the bar
association in Alexandria. Egypt.
