Neb' State Historical Society _
The Frontier
VOL. LIII. O'NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1932. No. 9
Earl Trappish Is Being Held
At the County Jail to Face A
First Degree Murder Charge
Case Arises Out Of
Finding the Body
of Clarence Coy
Earl Trappish, aged about thirty, is
now confined in the county jail and
will face the charge of first degree
murder, he having been picked up by
Sheriff Duffy on a ranch near Sherid
an, Wyoming, last week, placed temp
orarily in the county jail at Ainsworth
and brought to this city Tuesday after
noon and placed in the county jail.
The murder complaint will be filed a
gainst him within a few days.
Trappish and a young man named
Clarence Coy were engaged in trap
ping northwest of Stuart. It is said
that they first became acquainted on
a ranch in Wyoming last July and in
August of last year came to this
county, taking up their abode on an
Island in the Niobrara river and
followed their vocation of trapping.
They lived on the island for some time
and then moved over into this county,
locating their camp along the banks
of Otter Creek, about eighteen miles
northwest of Stuart, just a mile and
a half from thewest line of the county.
On a morning in April a farmer
living in thaat neighborhood, was over
to their camp and found Trappish
packing up and getting ready to leave.
He told this man that he was going
to Wyoming, and that Coy had gone
down to look after some traps and
was then going over to the Island.
This same farmer was back in the
same vicinity a few weeks afterwards
and found some of Coy’s clothes along
the bank of the creek, a little ways
below where their camp had been lo
cated. He reported his discovery to
people in Stuart, but as Coy had been
in the habit of changing his camp
without notifying anyone, nothing was
thought of his absence for a time.
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Later a search was made in the vi
cinity of the camp and on the Island,
but nothing was found. About two
and a half months afterward the sheriff
was notified of the disappearance of
Coy and he started out to locate Trap
pish, which he did near Sheridan,
Wyoming and had him arrested and
held for him there.
Last week Sheriff Duffy went up to
Wyoming and got Trappish, bringing
him as far as Ainsworth, where he
placed him in the Brown county jail.
Then Duffy went on to Stuart and got
a searching party and went out north.
They succeeded in finding part of the
skull and some bed clothing in a little
creek that ran into Otter creek, some
distance below where the camp was
located. There was hardly any water
in the creek and the skull was partly
covered with mud in the bottom of the
creek. About a mile below’ w’here the
camp was located they found the body,
that is all of it except one leg. in
Otter creek. The body was badly de
composed, but little flesh remaining
on the bones, but it has been identified
as the remins of Coy.
Trapish was brought down from
Ainsw’orth Tuesday afternoon and
questioned by County Attorney Cron
in and Sheriff Duffy that evening. He
denied knowing anything of the where
abouts of Coy. He said that when he
left that the understanding was that
he was to go back to Wyoming and
work for the summer, while Coy was
to remain on the Island or near there
and trap and that he w'as to come
back in the fall and that they were
to trap together again this winter.
When picked up he had the traps, a
rifle and revolver that belonged to Coy,
but he said that he had bought it from
him last year.
Coy has one brother, Silas Coy, who
I lives in Stuart.
Sheriff Duffy has a hold order from
1 officers in Milwaukee w'ho want Trap
pish for forging checks.
WEATHER FOR JULY
It has been quite hot the past week
and in most of the county there has
been but very little rainfall during the
week. Last Sunday morning fifty-six
hundredths of an inch fell here, but it
did not extend very far north of this
city, but they had a fairly good rain
fall northwest and northeast of here.
Following is the rainfall and the high
est temperature here from the first to
the 20th day of July:
Date Rainfall Temperature
July 1 88
July 2 83
July 3 .43 85
July 4 .20 83
July 5 84
July 6 91
July 7 85
July 8 87
July 9 .04 99
July 10 96
July 11 95
July 12 100
July 13 .95 98
July 14 99
July 15 98
July 16 .03 91
July 17 .56 90
July 18 96
July 19 97
July 20 96
According to the government weath
er bureau O’Neill was about the cool
est spot in the state last Tuesday. On
that day the highest temperature here
was 97, while Omaha, Auburn and
Fairbury had 98. On that day it was
100 at Ashland, Hartington, Lincoln
and North Platte, 102 at Broken Bow,
Gordon, Grand Island, Holdrege, North
Loup, Red Cloud and Valentine and
103 at Culbertson.
STOPS REWARD FOR DESERTERS
Instructions were issued today by
the War Department suspending pay
ment of rewards and reimbursement
for return of deserters.
Heretofore a reward of $50.00 was
paid to civil officers or civilians, with
the exception of Federal officers, for
the apprehension and delivery of de
serters. Federal officers were reim
bursed to the amount of actual ex
penses, not exceeding $50.00, for the
apprehension and delivery of a de
rseter.
Further instructions were issued re
ducing the reward for the apprehen
sion and delivery of escaped military
prisoners from $50.00 to $25.00 in the
case of civil officers and civilians and
reducing the reimbursement to Fed
eral officers for actual expenses in a
like amount. In the case of Philip
pine Scouts the reduction is from
$20.00 to $10.00.
These instructions were made nec
essary by a reduction in the allotment
for this purpose in the Army Appro
priations Bill.
P. J. McManus returned last Sunday
evening from Gregory county South
Dakota, where he had spent the week
looking over his real estate interests
there and making arrangements to
take care of the immense wheat and
rye crop raised on his farms. P. J.
says that the crops over in the Rose
bud are sure a splendid sight for sore
eyes these days. He says that never
before has he seen such an immense
crop of small grain as there is in that
section this year. There are many
fields of wheat that they predict will
yield fifty bushels per arce. He also
says that there are thousands of acres
of corn, standing up to his shoulders,
tasseled and with big ears shooting.
With favorable weather the balance of
the season they are bound to have an
enormous corn crop. While there last
week P. J. built a granery to hold his
wheat and rye, being unable to secure
storage facilities in the elevators
there. He is going back this afternoon
to look afterthe threshing of his grain,
which will start tomorrow.
Mr. and Mrs. George Urlaub and
family, Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Harring
ton, Patrick Shea, Dan Harrington and
Leo Steskal, of Omaha, were out to
the Niobrara River dam for a family
picnic last Sunday afternoon. The
picnic was in honor of Dan Harring
ton and Leo Steskal, both of whom re
turned to their homes Monday, the
former going to Portland, Oregon and
the latter to Omaha.
An army of grasshoppers descended
on the city last Wednesday night.
Those who were down town about 11
o’clock say there were thousands of
the pests surrounding the lights in the
various store windows. They should
move on down to Texas and Tennessee
so that the southern democrats, who
defeated the government appropria
tion for state aid to eliminate the hop
pers, could see what destructive little
demons these hoppers are.
BRIEFLY STATED j
George Syfie was in from Phoenix
; last Tuesday.
* l
D. Abdouch made a business trip to.
j Sioux City last Tuesday.
—
Ben Harty and Phil Zeimer made a
■ business trip to Center Tuesday.
John Carson was in from Steel
Creek the latter part of last week.
Alexa Uhl left Sunday for Wayne,
Nebraska to attend summer school.
H. B. Hubbard made a business trip
to Lincoln the latter part of last wreek. j
Dr. C. A. Criss, of Lynch, was
visiting friends in this city last Mon
day.
Lawrence Merriman made a busi
ness trip to Sioux City the latter part
of last week.
Dr. W. J. Douglas, of Atkinson, was
looking after business matters in this
city last Wednesday.
Fritz Walter, one of Deloit's hustl
ing farmers, was a business visitor to
the city last Tuesday.
George Harrington and M. H. Mc
Carthy made a business trip to Cherry
county last Wednesday.
Miss Evelyn Mains entertained a
party of young folks at the J. B. Mel
lor home last Friday evening.
The annual convention of the Ne
braska State Sheriffs Association will
be held in Falls City next week.
Miss Merle Ohmart and Miss Etha
Adams went to Wayne Saturday, where
they will attend summer school.
Mrs. P. J. O’Donnell went down to
Sioux City last Friday for a couple of
weeks visit with relatives and friends.
Attorneys George Farnam and R. F.
Baker, of Ainsworth, were transact
ing business in district court this
morning.
Mrs. Ted McElhaney and daughter,
Marjorie, returned Saturday from a
weeks visit at the home of her par- j
i ents at Orchard.
_
Leo Steskal, of Omaha, came up last
Saturday for a few days visit with
his sisters, Mrs. Tim Harrington and
Mrs. George Urlaub.
August Otto Traney and Miss Selma
Hagensick, both of O’Neill, were
granted a marriage license by the
county judge on July 18th.
The Holt County Economy League
will meet in O’Neill on Saturday, July
30th, at 2 o’clock, p. m.
Martin Conway, Secretary.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mains and son
Bobbie, left last Saturday morning for
Denver, Colorado, where they will
spend a week visiting with Mrs.
Mains’ sister.
——
The Ladies of the Country Club
entertained with a bridge party at the
Club last Monday evening. Mrs. F. N.
; Cronin won first prize, while Mrs.
Reeves won the all cut.
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Chairman John Sulivan and County
Clerk Gallagher went down to Lincoln
last Monday morning to interview the
Board of Equalization regarding the
assessment of Holt county.
T. T. Waid has started the erection
of a home on west Harrison street.
“Wink” says that while not so very
big it will be first class bachelor quart
ers and a home for him and his pal.
Mr. and Mrs. Merna Tipton, Mrs.
E. Roy Townsend, Mrs. R. F. Farley
of Page, and Mr. and Mrs. George E.
Bowen were dinner guests at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Mesner Sun
day.
James B. Ryan drove to Sioux City
1 last Saturday, returning that evening.
1 He was accompanied by his sister,
| Miss Mary, who will spend a few
weeks visiting relatives and friends
i here.
Mrs. D. A. Bland, Jr., wife of the |
' manager of the Hanford Produce com
pany, accompanied by Mrs. McDer
! mott, came up from Sioux City lasti
Monday for a couple of days visit
here.
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Collins and Mrs.
\V. P. Napier and daughter, Beatrice,
*>f Plainview, were in O’Neill Sunday
visiting with Miss Dorothy Collins,
Mr. and Mrs. John Quig and Mrs.
James Pace.
According to the U. S. department
of commerce there are 250 licensed air
pilots in this state and 126 airplanes
holding active licenses on July 1st.
There are also 76 unlicensed air craft
in the state.
Forest Slack and Miss Elizabeth
Irish, both of Dorsey, were united in
marriage by Rev. Benjamin Kuhler
of the Methodist church on June 18th.
The bride and groom were both eigh
teen years of age.
Rev. Kuhler, wife and daughter,
Ruth, spent Monday night in Young’s
park north of Creighton. They re
turned Tuesday with a half bushel of
choke cherries which friends over at
Creighton gave to them.
L. Cornell, who operated a shoe re
pair shop in this city for several years
prior to disposing of his business to
Sherm Ennis about a year and a half
ago, left last Saturday morning for
Greeley, Nebr., where he will open a
shoe repair shop.
J. P. Gallagher and son, Frank, went
to Valentine last Monday to spend a
few days visiting relatives and to try
and snare some of the finney tribe to
catch their bait. They are both un
usually good fishermen and they will
undoubtedly get their share.
T. F. Birmingham, Mr. and Mrs.
H. J. Birmingham and daughters, Lou
and Barbara, returned last Friday
morning from a visit with relatives in
Chicago and Darlington, Wis. While
in Chicago they were interested spec
tators at the democratic national con
vention.
fi '_
Vance Beghtol came up from Kearn
ey last Saturday afternoon and re
turned Sunday afternoon, being ac
companied home by Mrs. Beghtol and
son. Carter, who have been visiting
at the home of Mrs. Beghtol’s parents,
Dr. and Mrs. L. A. Carter, for the
past two weeks.
Attorney W. H. O’Gara. of Harting
ton.wasan O’Neill visitor last Wednes
day. Hartington is the county seat of
one of the richest counties in the state
and is now without a bank, the last
one closing its doors a few weeks ago.
Mr. O’Gara says that seventeen banks
have been closed in that county within
the past three years.
Will Butler, of Ewing, was an O’
Neill visitor last Friday. Mr. Butler
is one of the pioneer residents of the
county, coming to the county with his
parents some fifty-two years ago,
when they located near Ewing. We
have been acquainted with Mr. Butler
for something over forty-five years
and enjoyed a pleasant visit last week.
D. P. Harrington, who has been
visiting his mother, Mrs. Julia Har
rington and his brother and wife, Mr.
and Mrs. T. M. Harrington, for the
past two months left Monday morning
for his home in Portland, Oregon.
Mr. Harrington says that business
conditions are much better at Port
land than they are further south a
long the coast.
Tom C. Ferris, of Denver, Colo., a
representative of the Mergenthaler
Linotype Co., was a visitor at this
office this afternoon. Mr. Ferris re
ports that business has been picking
up inother sections of the state, ac
cording to the local printers, during
the past month, and they are looking
forward to an early resumption of
business in all lines.
Evelyn Gallop has filed suit in the
district court asking for a decree of
divorce from Orville Gallop. In her
petition she alleges that they were
married at Burke, South Dakota, on
July 27, 1928. She alleges that after
the first six months of married life,
that while well able to do so, he has
failed to provide for her suitable main
tenance and has furnished her with
no support whatever. She asks for an
absolute divorce and the possession ol
a little household goods that they pos
sess. She also asks that her maiden
name, Evelyn Pinkerman, be restorer
to her.
Michigan Man Is Killed When
| His Car Overturns on Highway
No. 20 Northwest of O’Neill
_ <
Other Occupants of
the Car Are Not
Badly Hurt
—
John R. Kane, of Eeorse, Mich., was
killed on highway No. 20, about three
miles northwest of this city, about 2
p. m. last Tuesday afternoon, when his
car struck some gravel in the center
of the road, spun around and upset,
crushing him beneath the car. De
ceased was 38 years of age. The
body w'as shipped this morning to
Eeorse, Michigan for interment.
Mr. Kane, accompanied by his wife,
Josephine and their two children,
Richard 14 years of age and Margaret
12 years of age and Mrs. Kane’s moth
er, Mrs. Johanna Haner were on their
way from Los Angeles to Detroit in a
Studebaker car. They left Los Angeles
about ten days ago and were taking
in the points of interest in this section
on their way east. They visited the
mountains in Colorado and took in the
various points of interest in the Black
Hills and when they left the Black
Hills Tuesday morning intended to
go on through to Detroit, as Eeorse
is a suburb of the automobile city.
Monday night they stopped at Kil
gore, leaving there Tuesday morning.
Mr. Kane drove the car until they
reached Atkinson when he laid down
in the back seat for a nap and Mrs.
Kane drove from Atkinson. At the
time of the accident Mrs. Kane was
driving and Mr. Kane was asleep in
the back seat of the car. She was
driving along at a moderate rate of
speed, she said not over thirty or
thirty-five miles an hour and this is
verified by Henry Connor, of Emmet,
who was driving a truck, loaded with
.
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)—
baling wire to Emmet and was about
200 yards east of them when the acci
dent occurred. Mrs. Kane was driving
in the center of the road, straddle a
ridge of gravel. When she saw the
car coming from the east she turned
the wheel to get over on the right side
of the road, when the car skidded in
in the gravel and partially turned a
round in the road and slid into the
ditch, turning over as it hit the ditch
and landing right side up, headed
west, turned completely around. As
Mr. Kane was asleep, at the time of
the accident, his head resting against
the window glass on the left side of
the car, it is supposed that his head
was thrown through the roof when
the car fell over, it caught his head,
mashing the skull in. Dr. Brown was
summoned from O’Neill but he was
dead when the Doctor reached the
scene of the accident. Coroner Cronin
was then called to the scene and
viewed the body, decided there was no
necessity for an inquest and Biglin’s
brought the body to town, embalmed
same and prepared it for shipment
east.
Mrs. Kane and the children, as well
as her mother, Mrs. Haner, were badly
shaken up and suffered a few bruises
and scratches, but no serious injury.
The family were taken to the home of
Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Ernest, near whose
home the accident occurred, where
they received every care and where
their injuries were dressed. They re
mained at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest until this morning, when they
came to this city to take the train east.
Loose gravel in the center of the
road is dangerous and the state auth
orities should take some precaution
j to prevent having a ridge of gravel in
'the center of the road practically all
1 the time, as it is too dangerous.
_
'ANTHRAX CONTINUES TO TAKE
TOLL
Spencer Advocate: A recent out
break, south and southeast of Spencer,'
j of anthrax, has been taking a heavy !
| toll. Dr. Hines was called to the Hans j
Mathisen farm last Thursday after
one cow had died suddenly. By the i
time he was able to get to the farm, i
two head more were gone. Injections!
to check anthrax were given at once i
but the dreaded disease continued, and |
even the second injection failed, and
Mr. Mathisen has lost seven head of
big cattle, all he had at the farm with
the exception of one small bucket calf.
Martin Langan also lost two head
and Albert Loock one. Previous loss
es were: Rudolph Ruda, 11 head; J.
L. Bainbridge, 1 head; Gus Remter,
one head. Dr. Hines says that the re
cent outbreak was the “hottest,” or
most virulent he has ever seen.
Later, Dr. Hines informed us that
Albert Ziech had lost two head of
cattle and Hans Mathisen two head
of hogs.
i The fire whistle went on a rampage
last Saturday morning, about 7:10
a. m. and could not be checked for
| about fifteen minutes with the result
that about every one in the city were
got out of bed and down town. It was
! quite a relief to most inhabitants when
they got down town to learn that
there was no fire and they felt so j
good thereat that they did not mind.
losing a little beauty sleep.
Mrs. J. B. Mellor, Mrs. Robert Ar-1
I buthnot and Mrs. Frank Hanson, of
' Hat Creek, Wyoming, left last Monday
morning for Winona, Minn., where
; they will spend ten days or two weeks
visiting relatives and friends in their
; childhood home. Mrs. Mellor and Mrs.
Hanson have not been back there since
the family moved west some years ago
and it is needless to say that they will
' not find many things that are familiar
I in the “old home town.”
The Frontier acknowledges receipt
from John McCaffrey, of Pittsburg,
Pa., of a letter containing a renewal
of his subscription to this household
necessity. Mr. McCaffrey is a brother
of the late Joe McCaffrey, for many
years a prominent resident of this
county. He has visited in this city on
many occasions and was well known
to many of the old timers. He has
always taken an interest in this sec
i tion and has been a reader of Ihe
j Frontier for many years.
money order rates are
INCREASED
An increase of one cent in the fee
charged for issuance of postal money
orders for amounts up to and includ
ing $20 has been announced by the
post office department, to become ef
fective July 20.
On amounts of more than $20, the
rate now in effect will be continued.
The fee to be charged under the
new ruling, which in all cases cover
ing amounts up to $20, is one cent
more than the present rate, is as fol
lows: From $ .01 to $2.50, G cents;
from $5.01 to $10.00, 11 cent; from
$10.01 to $20, 13 cents.
Rates on orders of more than 20
dollars, which will not be changed are
as follows: From $20.01 to $40.00, 15
cents; from $40.01 to $<>0.00, 18 cents;
from $0.01 to $80.00, 20 cents; from
$80.01 to $100.00, 22 cents.
fall from haystack proves
FATAL
Albert M. Garwood, age 47, one of
the prominent farmers and stockmen
of the southwest part of the county,
died at the Stuart hospital Monday
from injuries received when he fell
from a hay stack while stacking hay
on his ranch. He suffered a fracture
of the spine in the fall. He was taken
to the hospital at Stuart for medical
treatment. Deceased lea%'es a widow,
five sons and one daughter, besides his
aged parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. M.
Garwood, who live in Atkinson.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto W. Kline, of
Los Angeles, California, were in the
city last Saturday where Mr. Kline
was visiting scenes of hi3 youth. Mr.
Kline is the son of E. Kline and the
family lived in this city for ""any
years, Mr. Kline being at one time
employed in the court house. In 1907
the family left here and moved to
California, where they have since re
sided. Twenty-five years is quite a
while to be away from a town, but Mr.
Kline said that he found a few of his
old schoolmates still in the city, but
most of them were now residents of
other places. He said that he en
joyed his visit here and met many
of the older residents who were in
timately acquainted with his father
and other members of the family. Mr.
Kline was a pleasant caller at this
office and ordered The Frontier sent
to his father for the coming year, so
tha. he could see sow things were pro
gressing in his “old home town.”