VOLUME XXXIX. O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1919. NO. 33.
LOCAL MATTERS.
The Stuart Home Guards will be
mustered out Thursday evening.
Hy Nightengale, of Atkinson, made
a business trip to O’Neill Tuesday.
The county board of supervisors re
sumed its session Tuesday morning.
The Shields township (board will
- hold a meeting Tuesday, February 4.
Frank Phalin was a Northwestern
passenger for Omaha Tuesday morn
ing.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hunter spent
Saturday and Sunday with relatives at
Star.
J. W. Snyder has purchased the
James ,Leahy ranch four miles north
of Ewing.
John Judge and sister, Miss Bess,
of Atkinson, were in the city Monday
visiting with friends.
Mrs. Elmer Reddick, of Wood Lake,
is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
A. Soukup, of Pleasant Valley.
Henry Watterson Tomlinson, chief
county quarantine officer, is confined
to his residence with lumbago.
E. E. James and family, of Stuart,
Tiave removed to Winner, S. D., where
they will make their future home.
Will McCarthy, of Atkinson, was in
the city Monday visiting with friends
and attending to business matter*.
Walter Hodgkin made a business
trip to Stuart Monday. He reports
,4arge drifts of snow around' Stuart,
r- The village of Chambers has dis
continued its street lights owing to a
lack of funds in the village treasury.
i J. F. Schrunk, of the Atkinson
f t neighborhood, was on the Omaha mar
ket with a car of top price hogs' last
week.
» John Archer, of Ewing, was in the
city Monday attending to business
affairs.
Brownie Ward carrje up from Omaha
^ Monday night being called here by
1 the illness of his mother, Mrs. Mike
O’Neill.
Carl Holtz, of Ewing, was a pleas
ant caller at this office Wednesday,
, having come in to look after his sub
scription.
. P. D. Mullen returned from Omaha
' Monday night, af|er spending several
* days in the metropolis looking after
business affairs.
v Rev. Father Hudson, of Bonesteel,
S. D., passed through O’Neill Monday
on his way to Omaha to attend to
business matters.
r Peter Duffy left Sunday morning
■‘’or Des Moines, Iowa, where he will
x>ond a few days attending to county
i ^business matters.
Miss Kathleen Stannard, who has
.been visiting with her folks here for
the past month, returned to Denver,
Colorado, last week.
^ Miss Geneva Alderman came down
from Newport last Friday afternoon
'and spent the week-end visiting Miss
Florence McCafferty.
Mrs. M. E. Vernon and little daugh
ter, Dorothy, left Thursday of last
week for a week-end visit with Omaha
friends and relatives.
“The best paper in Nebraska,’’ is
the way J. Q. Howard, of Norfolk re
Ifers to The Frontier, in sending in his
renewal of subserpton.
Miss Carrie Stratton, of Atkinson,
has been appointed superintendent of
the Chambers schools for the remain
der of the school term.
Mrs. L. W. Bergstrom returned last
Saturday night from a two week visit
\ with relatives at Lincoln, Verdun
S. and Tecumseh this state.
Bert Gray was installed as Noble
Grand and Peter X. Larson as Vice
Grand at the regular meeting of the
Page I. O. O. F. last week.
Income tax blanks have been re
ceived by Internal Revenue Collector
Loomis, of Omaha, and will be ready
* for distribution by February 1.
William Harte, of Inman, has gone
to Rochester, Minn, where he will
undergo an operation to straighten a
leg fractured several years ago.
John Hagerty, who has been in the
navy and doing duty at Miami,
Florida, arrived here the first of the
week having received his discharge.
Guy Young, of Opportunity, was in
the city Wednesday. He has just re
covered from the flu and expects to
be able to get into the work shortly.
Senator D. H. Cronn and Mrs.
Cronin came up from Lincoln Friday
evening, for the week-end at home,
returning to Lincoln Monday morning.
Cliff Marquis of Chambers has pur
chased the bankrupt Bogert stock of
merchandise at that point and will
consolidate it with his own stock of
goods.
Z. T. France, of Dorsey, who was
severely injured several weeks ago
when his car overturned, rapidly is re
covering from his injuries and soon
will be about again.
Frank Froelich, who has been in
the service and stationed at Van
couver, Wash., for the past ten
months arrived here Sunday night
having been discharged.
Mrs. Anthony Murray returned
last Thursday from Omaha, where
she had been for a week with her
sister, Mrs. J. P. Kane, who was ill,
but who is now recovering.
The Page school board has decided
to extend the school term to May 24
this year, and to hold school on Sat
urdays to make up for time lost when
the schools were closed because of the
flu.
C. W. Dobney, of Stuart, was se
verely but not dangerously injured
last week when the car in which he
wa^ driving struck a snow .drift,
throwing him through the wind
shield.
Mr. and Mrs. Will McCormick, who
have been the guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Hunter since Mr. McCormick’s
discharge from the service, returned
to their home near Norden Monday
evening.
Pete Ward arrived here Tuesday
morning from Hot Springs, S. D., be
ing called here by the illness of his
mother. Pete has been in the service
but recently received his discharge
frpm Camp Pike, Ark. ’
Paul Adams, who has been em
ployed as bookkeeper in the First
National Bank here for some time,
left Saturday night for Casper, Wy
oming, where he has accepted a po
sition with the Casper National Bank.
Atkinson relatives have received
word of .the death of Irving Critten
don at Esparto, California, of in
fluenza, December 29. His wife, for
merly Miss Luella Parnell, of At
kinson, and two children, survive him.
Good news for the consumer and
bad for the producer. The recent
spell of spring weather has induced
the' cows to give a little more and a
little richer milk, on less feed. As a
result butter fat has dropped more
than 11 cents and butter with it.
Senator D. H. Cronin in addition to
his other committee assignments in
the state senate has been made a
member of the special code committee
which will have charge of the civil
code bill introduced in the legislature
at the request of Governor McKelvie.
The next number of the lyceum
-course, said to be the best of the
series, will be the Varallo Concert
company, Monday, February 3. The
company, composed of several artists,
has an excellent program, both ensem
ble and solo, and is accompanied by a
talented reader.
Joseph A. Mitchel, of O’Neill, is a
member of Battery A of the famous
127th field artillery, former Fourth
Nebraska regiment,, now being mus
tered out at Fort Dodge. The organi
zation not only made a record in
France, but distinguished itself along
the border war.
The Oakland, California, Daily
Press, of December 31, announces the
marriage of Miss Cecelia Ramold,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ra
mold, of Atkinson, to Mr.- Henry
Tabler, of Oakland, Mr. Tabler is the
son of Edward Tabler, of Omaha, and
is an official of the V. P. railroad.
County Superintendent Anna Dono
hoe left Wednesday morning for Lin
coln, Nebraska, where she Will spend
the week attending the convention of
county superintendents which starts
there Thursday.
Gerald Miles arrived Sunday even
ing from Fort Dodge, where he was
mustered out of the service. Gerald
has been stationed at Camp Ben
jamin Franklin, near Camp Mede,
Maryland, and was in the wireless
service of the signal corps.
Mrs. Ross Irish, residing near Bas
sett, who had been visiting her
mother, Mrs. John Dibble, of Atkin
son, became lost in the storm of Jan
uary 8 w'hile returning home overland
from Bassett, but after a day and
half of a night finally reached her
destination. Her feet were frozen by
the exposure.
R. W. McGinnis, traffic manager of
the Northwestern for this district and
president of the McGinnis Creamery
company, was an O’Neill visitor
Thursday, in his capacity as a railroad
official. Mr. McGinnis is visiting -the
hay shipping points of Holt and Rock
counties, conferring with dealers re
garding the movement of hay.
Mike Sullivan, well known to old
time residents of O’Neill and vicinity,
wa®in the city for a few days last
week visiting with friends. Mike is
now deputy sheriff at Butte, Mont.,
and was on his return trip to Butte
from Allentown, Penn., with a
prisoner, who was charged with steal
ing a car at Butte, some time ago.
At the meeting of the county board
of supervisors Saturday The Frontier
was made the official publication for
printing of legal notices and The
Frontier, the Inman Leader and the
Stuart Advocate were named as the
papers to publish the official accounts
of the supervisors’ proceedings. All
bids on printing and supplies were re
jected by the board and purchases of
supplies will be made upon the open
market.
The Baloon Pilot, San Antonio,
Texas: Sgt. 1st Class F. E. Skrdla,
who has had charge of the Electrical
Maintenance of this Post for the past
five months, was discharged last week.
Skrdla hails from Atkinson, Nebras
ka, where he is part owner of a flour
mill and the only electric light plant
in the town. Due to the death of his
older brother, the plant was without a
competent manager and electrician.
If Skradla puts as much in his work
at home as he did for Camp John
Wise, we are confident that the citi
zens of Atkinson, Nebraska, will never
be without lights.
Stamp sales at the O Neill post
office for the year 1918 were $15,
622.96, the largest in the history of
the office. The sales in December
alone amounted to $4,470.30, by far
the largest amount of any month,
and the sales of the December quarter
exceeded those of the March quarter
by more than $2,000. This excellent
showing may result in the construct
ion of the O’Neill federal building, ap
propriation for the purchase of the
site of which already has been made,
being hurred along. The department
was loath to begin the building until
the stamp sales exceeded $10,000 a
year.
The Chambers Sun was thirty
years old last week and this week M.
Wirt Hiatt, the present owner,
promises to give a write-up of the
thrills of newspaper life in Chambers,
The Chambers Sun is descended from
the Chambers Eagle, started by H. R.
Henry & Son in January of 1889. At
the time of its foundation another
paper, the old Chambers Pickings,
was struggling for existance but soon
expired. After several years as The
Eagle,. the new paper was sold to
Postmaster R. C. Wry who changed
the name to the Chambers Bugle,
under which title it existed up to
several years ago, under different
managements, when Martin F. Cro
nin disposed of it and it became the
Chambers Sun. Here’s hoping that
the Sun shines for at least thirty
years more.
Holt County Woman Confesses Murder
of Former Husband’s Wife.
Mrs! Carrie Hofland and Frank
Welton, both formerly of O’Neill and
Holt county, are under arrest at
Mountain View, Missouri, because of
the death of Welton’s wife, and Mrs.
Hofland has confessed to the murder
6f Mrs. Welton. The murder was
committed Friday, according to the
confession of Mrs. Hofland. The lat
ter for many years lived with Welton
ofi his ranch in Josie township, near
Toriawanda, as his wife and only had
been living apart from him since Wel
ton’s removal from Holt county to
Missouri several years ago, remain
ing here, it is said, to settle up some
of her own property affairs. Welton
is the son of the late Barnabas Wel
ton, sheriff of Holt county in the early
eighties, and his mother still resides
in O’Neill.
Dispatches from West Plains, Mis
souri, telling of the discovery of the
murder state that the couple were ar
r«Jt“wl after an investigation of a re
port by Welton that he had returned
home Friday aftembon to find his
wife drowned, in a cistern, and his
three-months old babe still alive and
floating in the water in the cistern.
He said he let himself down on a
rope and that the woman he then
claimed was a relative, drew the baby
up in a bucket. He then tied the rope
around his wife’s body, climbed back
up the rope and with the help of the
woman, pulled the body from the cis
tern. A physician who was called be
came suspicious, he told authorities,
when he did not find any water in the
lungs of Mrs. Welton, as would have
been the case had she drowned. He
also declared he found what appeared
to be finger prints on her throat, a
bruise on her temple and scratches and
bruises on her back and sides.
Welton, when questioned at the
coroner’s inquest, stated the woman
was not a relative, but that they once
lived together in O’Neill, Neb., as man
and wife. He asserted that she came
to his farm home Thursday afternoon
without him knowing that she inten
ded to, and asked to stay all ngiht.
He said he objected, but that his wife
insisted that the woman be permitted
to remain.
Mrs. Hoflland on the witness stand
declared Welton never could have
been legally married to the dead wo
man, as he had never divorced her.
At her preliminary hearing before
a justice of the peace Tuesday she
confessed to the murder of Mrs. Pearl
Welton.
Mrs. Hofland declared that she had
followed Welton through three states
and had found him happily married
after she had lived with him as his
common law wife in Nebraska. She
said she choked Mrs. Welton to death
and threw the body into the cistern.
She declared she did not know whether
she dropped the baby into the cistern,
or let it fall vfhile she was looking
over the edge.
She completely exonerated Welton,
who, she said, was in a forest cutting
wood when she committed the deed.
Mrs. Hofland removed to O’Neill
when Welton left the county, about
two years ago, and for a time off and
on worked at the Grand Cafe. Mon
day, January 6, she left her position,
saying that she was going to Welton,
in Missouri.
O’Neill Boy Fired Last Shot of War.
1). S. Thompson, born and raised in
O’Neill, fired the last shot of the
world’s war. . Mr. Thompson is the
son of Mrs. Maude Curie, of Los An
geles, Cal., sister of S. J. Weekes, and
entered the army two years ago as a
member of the California National
Guard. He is a minor and will not be
of age until March 25, but being im
bued with the O’Neill and Holt county
energetic disposition to do things,
lack of age handicapped him not at
all. Mr. Thompson was named after
several of the heroes cf the Spauish
American war and he lived right up to
the lianos de: bp, the recent conflict
Ilis full name is Steven Dewey Hob
son S: hley Sampson Thompson The
San Francisco correspondent of the
Los Angeles Examiner has the follow
ing to say about Mr. Thompson and
the big event in which he was the
leading figure:
“San Francisco, Jan. 11.—Destroy
ers of the famed German “Madin”
flying circus arrived in San Francisco
yesterday, preparatory to demobiliza
tion at the Presido. They are the Sec
ond Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Coast
Artilley Corps.
"Two hundred and fifty members of
this crack California unit came to this
city yesterday under the command of
Major Leman and Lieutenant Dows
r.r.d Myers. Practically all of the men
are from Los Angeles.
“This unit has a lcniarkable war
record. In the first place, the man
who fired the las-t gun in the war, m
November 11, 1"18, returned with it
yesterday. He is D. S. Thompson.
The Second Anti-Aircraft Battalion
was the first body of troops to be de
signed for removal from the front line
in the Argonne woods for return
home, in view of their splendid work
prior. They were commanded over
seas by Colonel Perkins. It has the
record for quick transport overseas,
making the trip in 19 days. It won
the record for bringing down enemy
planes, having competed with all other
anti-aircraft battalions.
“But their proudest distinction, as
asserted by themselves, is the fact
that they destroyed the supposedly in
vulnerable German flying circus. It
took place just before Metz, shortly
after the victory at St. Mihiel. The
huge circus of enemy planes that
swept over the American salient was
headed by the inventor of the “cir
cus,” Lieut. Madin. The Second Anti
Aircraft Battalion saw their chance
for great fighting here, and battled
with the cloud men for two hours. One
by one they fell victims of the in
trepid fire of the rapid anti-aircraft
guns. Lieut. Madin came flown last
but he fell hardest, according to the
boys of the battalion, who recited the
incident today.
Seven men operate an anti-air
craft gun. They were therefore seven
men at the gun which fired the last
shot of the war. Each claimed yester
day a part in the firing of the last
gun. I). S. Thompson pulled the trig
ger. Forrest McHenry loaded the
gun, Leroy Johnson carried the shell,
W. L. Woolaver set the charge, Har
ry Kottinger found the range, J. M.
Glines gave the command to fire and
L. C. Powers aimed the piece.
“The contingent which arrived to
day is made up almost entirely of ar
tillerymen who formerly manned the
big guns at San Diego, San Pedro and
San Francisco, and is the remainder
of the original battalion commended
by Colonel H. A. Schwab at Forts Mac
Arthur and Rosecrans.
“A large number of the members of
the battalion were left in hospitals
overseas, twenty were left dead on the
field of battle, while a hundred or so
were left in eastern camps. The men
are now billeted in the North canton
ment, formerly the first officers’ train
ing camp, but now the central demob
ilization camp for the district within
500 miles of San Francisco.
“Tlie Second Anti-Aircraft Batta
lion took part in the big drive at St.
Mihiel, September 12. They were in
the Champagne, Verdun and Argonne
fighting also. When the war came to
an end with the signing of the armis
tice they were stationed at St. Hilaire.
“Most of their fighting was neces
sairly done in the open, according to
Lieut. Orris R. Myers, and was there
fore very practical work. Trenches
were only dug when the troops were
not advancing, he said. Lieutenant
Myers said that at St. Mihiel, on the
morning of the signing of the armis
tice, the Germans let down a vicious
barrage, taking the lives of five of
their men.
“The battalion used French 75s,
there being no American anti-aircraft
guns available.’’
Former Holt County Boy Killed.
David William Eisele, a former
Chambers boy, was killed in. action in
France in October, according to word
just received by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. David E. Eisele, of Roca, Ne
braska. He was born near Chambers
April 5, 1889, and with his parents re
moved from this county in 1896.
O’Donnell- Dearer.
Miss Sue O’Donnell and Mr. Quen
tin K. Deaver were united in mar
riage at St Patrick’s church Tuesday
morning at 7:30 o’clock, the Rev.
Father M. F. Cassidy officiating. The
bride was attended by her sister, Miss
Nell O’Donnell and tne groom by Mr.
Will Biglin. The bride wore a going
away costume of dark blue, -jyith hat
to match and a corsage boquet of
Mrs. Ward roses. Miss Nell O’Don
nell, bzridesmaid, also was attired in
blue, with a corsage boquet of sweet
peas. Following the wedding cere
mony a wedding breakfast was ten
dered the couple at the residence of
the bride’s mother, after which the
young couple departed for a short
wadding trip after which they will be
at home at Casper, Wyoming.
The bride is the daughter of Mrs.
Ellen O’Donncl and is one of the most
prominent and charming of the young
society buds of the corrihiunity, having
grown to young womanhood in this
city. The groom is the son of the late
D. Clem Deaver and Mrs. Deaver, for
merly of O’Neill, and is cashier of the
Casper National Bank, Casper, Wyo.
Those present from abroad for the
wedding were Mrs. D. Clem Deaver,
mother of the groom, Mrs. John Sul
livan, sister of the groom, Mrs. Frank
Rentsehler of Springview, and Miss
Nell O’Donnell of Gillette, Wyo., sis
ters of the bride. Miss May Ham
mond, close friend of the bride, and
one of the attendants of the wedding
party, was the fortunate one to catch
the bride’s boquet and friends will
watch to see whether or not the legen
dary prophecy is to be fulfilled.
The Frontier joiiTs with the host of
friends of Mr. arid Mrs. Deaver in,
extending to them congratulations and
best wishes for a long life of unalloy
ed health, prosperity and wedded
bliss.
Roy Ross Dead of Wounds.
Roy C. Ross, one more Holt county
hero, has made the supreme sacrifice
that the world may be safe for hu
manity. As his comrades are return
ing from the war to lay aside the ac
coutrements for the implements of
peace, he sleeps in France. Word of
his death, October 7, from wounds re
ceived in action, was received by his
mother, Mrs. Susie Ross, Tuesday
morning.
Roy, who would have reached the
age of twenty-four years on Novem
ber 15, last, was a member of Com
pany B, 134th Infantry, and went
from O’Neill with the second draft
contingent, September 10, 1917, to
Camp Funston. Later he was trans
ferred to Camp Cody, New Mexico.
He was born in Boyd county and grew
to manhood in O’Neill. He leaves his
mother, Mrs. Susie Ross, and several
brothers and sisters to survive him,
and to whom The Frontier joins the
entiqg community in extending heart
felt condolences on their great be
reavement.
Chambers Railroad Goes Up In Smoke
The Chambers railroad has reached
another set beck and it is probable
that it will not be built this year.
William Reninger, father of the pro
ject, is disgusted with the prospects,
and now that he is going away from
Chambers has abandoned all hope and
burned the ./subscription lists. Mr.
Reninger, during his long residence
in the Chambers neighborhood, has
been the leader in improvement move
ments and for years has worked to
place Chambers on the railroad map.
In a farewell, open, letter, he says:
“To those who subscribed to the
building of the railroad from Eric
son to Chambers, I wish to say that
as there has been nothing done as to
building the road and I am soon go
ing to move away from Chambers I
have burned all the subscription lists
that I had. Not because I think there
is no chance for a road, but I felt that
the time had expired that these sub
scriptions had been signed for, and not
being able to see all of those who had
signed the list, I have burned them up.
WM. RENINGER.”
/ I
|| BEST EVIDENCE jj §|
SB 1 HI
jjj A Nebraska State Bank check-book gives I jj
jj sure every-day evidence to you of every cent 1 jj
jjj ; you receive or expend.
Furthermore every check that you “make p
jjj ; out” comes back to you the following month |
jj | as positive evidence that you have made pay- 1 iP
Ij ment to the one who endorses it.
What good reason is there for you not to J M
jj use this service which this strong financial |jjj
jj§ institution, will supply you without cost.
Come in and ask for a check-book.
--- g $S3
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Hi rr=r.~
| Htkcaska Stat* Hank 1
.........
The Federal Reserve System
ha£ proved itself during our participation in
the war. It is difficult to say what banking
conditions might have been without it. With
it they have been stable and responsive to
the needs of the situation. You should
support a bank which supports the system.
THE O’NEILL NATIONAL BANK
Capital. Surplus and Undivided Profits, $125,000
This Bank Carries no Indebtedness of Officers
or Stockholders.