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North-Nebraska’s Fastest-Growing Newspaper
VOLUME 70.—NUMBER 43. r~ O'NEILL. NEBRASKA. THURSDAY^ MARCH 1. 1951. " PAGE 17.
U of N Chancellor
Will Speak Here
V
Dr. R. G. Gustavson
Will Address Ag
Meeting
The chancellor of the Univer
sity of Nebraska, Dr. R. G. Gus
tavson, will be the principal
speaker at the combined annual
meeting of the Holt county Soil
Conservation District and Holt
county extension service on Mon
day, March 5. The affair will be
held at the American Legion au
ditorium.
Program follows:
i ^12:45-:115 p.m.— Registration
(only those registered by 1:15 el
igible for door prizes).
1:00 p.m. — Music by O’Neill
hngh school.
1:30 p.m.—Report^ of Soil Con
servation District and extension
service by pictures; election of
two extension board members.
2:00 p.m. — Special music by
Inman 4-H club.
2:05 p.m.—Announcements, in
troductions, door prizes.
2:10 p.m.—Special selection by
O’Neill 4-H club.
r2:15 p.m.— George Round, di
rector of public relations, Uni
versity of Nebraska.
2:30 p.m.—Dr. R. G. Gustav
son, chancellor of the University
of Nebraska, who will discuss
agriculture.
3:30 p.m.—Discussion.
3:45 p.m.—Coffee and dough
nuts.
These two agencies have com
bined to present their annual
year-end reports of activities.
The afternoon’s program is
1 planned to interest townspeople
as well as rural people.
Both the Chamber oi Com
merce and the Lions club here
hive pledged full support to the
joint meeting which is expected
to attract a capacity crowd.
I (The O’Neill high school and 4
H club groups will furnish music
for part of the program.
Door prizes will be given to the
two lucky ladies and to two men.
Free coffee and doughnuts will
be served at the close of the pro
gram.
High school students of both
1 O’Neill schools will have an op
portunity to hear Chancellor
Gustavson at a short convocation
arranged at the public school
auditorium.
The extension service will con
duct an election to fill the expir
ed terms of Mrs. O. A. Hammer
berg, of Atkinson, who represents
supervisor district 7, and Ora
Yarges, of Stuart, who repre
sents supervisor district 6. The
n^ninating committee has nomi
nated Mrs. O. A. Hammerberg
and Mrs. J. B. Mellor, of Atkin
Ison, for district 7, and Ora Yar
ges and Edwin Engler, both of
Stuart, for district li. Additional
nominations may be made from
the floor.
■ Gustavson Is Known
As a Scientist—
Known internationally as a sci
entist and as one of the outstand
ing educators of the midwest, Dr.
Ruben G. Gustavson has been
chancellor of the University of
Nebraska since September, 1946.
immediately prior to his asso
ciation with the University of
Nebraska, Doctor Gustavson was
vice-president and dean of fac
ulties at the University of Chica
! go.
Born in Denver, Colo., April 6,
1892, he received his bachelor of
arts and master of arts degrees
from the University of Denver
(Continued on page 4)
Kin Was Pilot of
Ill-Fated Plane
Howard Campbell, of Sioux
City, who was the pilot of the
ill - fated two engine Cessna
which crashed near Decatur Sat
unday, was a cousin of Frank
• Summers. All five persons aboard
>*Vvere killed. Three were service
men from Ft. Leonard Wood,
Mo., going home on furlough.
Bodies were found Sunday
evening, when volunteers wad
| ded through fog, rain and mud
. to find the missing plane, which
f had been spotted by a search
party from the air.
Holt County Fair
Dates Are Fixed
i -
CHAMEBRS—The 1951 Holt
| county fair dates have been set.
’ The exposition this year will be
gin on Wednesday, August 29
- and continue through Saturday,
- September 1.
' «There will be little conflict this
year with the Antelope county
fair at Neligh. The Antelope fair
will be closing as entry and judg
ing gets underway at Chambers.
President Vern Sageser and
Secretary Edwin Wink met re
| cently with Antelope fair offic
ials to work out the dates.
i Fern Ritts Appears;
Case Is Continued
|«
Mrs. Fern Ritts, of O’Neill, ap
peared before District Judge D.
R. Mounts on Wednesday on a
larceny charge growing out of
an incident last fall.
The case was continued until
, next week by Judge Mounts.
Mrs. Ritts is free on $1,000 bond,
r
Chancellor Gusiavson , . .
varied background.
(Story at left)
MILITARY FUNERAL
FOR SLAYMAKER
Rites in Atkinson Sunday
for Veteran of
World War I
ATKINSON— Military funeral
services were held for Edward
C. Slaymaker on Sunday, Febru
ary 25, who died at his home in
Atkinson on Thursday, Febru
ary 22.
He had been in ill health for
several years.
Mr. Slaymaker was a World
War I veteran and had been a
patient at the veterans hospital
at Lincoln and at the veterans
hospital in Sioux Falls, S. D. He
also had been treated at the
Mayo hospital at Rochester,
Minn.
Survivors include: Widow —
Amy; son—Darrol; daughters —
Mrs. Dick Doolittle, of Amelia;
Mrs. Robert Cabbage, of Califor
nia; and Jerry, of Atkinson; four
grandchildren.
The church was unable to ac
comodate the overflow crowd
gathering for the rites.
Pillsbury Plane
Stopped to Refuel
Three Minneapolis, Minn., men
enroute to Aspen, Colo., stopped
briefly at Municipal airport last
Thursday to refuel their Ryan
Navion 4-passenger plane. Later
that day, near Paxton, their
plane plunged to the ground in
misty weatner and killed the oc
cupants.
Lead were:
EDMUND P. PILLSBURY, 31.
ALFRED D. LINDLEY, 47. .
DEXTER L. ANDREWS, 38.
The pilot, Pillsbury, identified
as vice-president of the Pillsbury
Flour milie, apparently tried to
leach a small landing field.
Lnidley, an attorney, sports
man and politician, and Andrews,
director of a merchandise whole
sale firm, were killed instantly.
Pillsbury died in the Sutherland
hospital.
Lindley is survived by his
wife and two children; Andrews
is survived by his wife and three
children; Pillsbury is survived by
his wife and three children.
Lindley had planned to go on
to Sun Valley, Ida., for Olympic
ski team selections.
The plane crashed into a tree.
Wing icing was blamed for the
crash.
The plane, a four-place, single
engine craft, was identified as
Pillsbury's.
Gordon O. Harper, manager of
Municipal airport here, told civ
il aeronautics authorities he tried
to persuade the airmen from con
tinuing. They also had lunch
here.
The plane was loaded with ski
ing equipment, Harper said.
P. V. Hickey spent the week
end in Omaha.
MELVIN KURTZ
HEART VICTIM
Collapses While Viewing
Television Show
at Home
A 46-year-old former O’Neill
man, Melvin Kurtz, of Pasadena,
Calif., collapsed Sunday evening.
February 25, at his home while
viewing a television program
Mrs. Kurtz, the former Eva
Spangler, summoned a neighbor,
who was a physician, and an
emergency police cquad. But ef
forts to save his life were futile.
Funeral services will be held
Saturday, March 3, at 2 p.m.
at Biglin Bros, funeral chapel
and at 2:30 p.m. at First Pres
byterian church. Rev. Ralph
Gerber, church pastor, and
Rev. Wayne Hall, pastor of the
Assembly of God, will officiate.
Burial will be in Prospect Hill
cemetery.
The body was to have reached
O’Neill early today (Thursday)
with the widow accompanying
the remains.
Melvin Kurtz was a son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ray Kurtz, of O’Neill.
He was born in Iowa and came
to O’Neill at the age of 16. On
July 25, 1931, he married Eva
Spangler, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Await Spangler.
For a number of years he
worked in O’Neill garages and 12
years ago moved to California
He was in partnership with his
brother, Andrew, in the garage
business in Pasadena.
Survivors include: Widow—
Eva; parents—Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Kurtz, of O’Neill; brothers— An
drew, of Pasadena, Calif., and
Clifton, of Kansas City, Kans.;
sisters—Mrs. Jack (Doris) Har
vey. of Salina, Kans ; Mrs. Rob
ert (Charlotte) Larson, of O’Neill;
Mrs. Daniel (Ladonna) Snyder,
of O’Neill; Mrs. Charles (Bon
nie) Cooper, of O’Neill, and Mrs.
Hal (Mane) Bauhler, of Califor
nia.
Pallbearers chosen are Wllmar
Hoyer, of Washington; Virgil
Ott, of California; J. E. Davis
James Holsclaw, William Hansen
and Edward M. Gallagher, all of
O’Neill.
Holt Bulls Grab
Bassett Honors
BASSETT—The North-Central
Nebraska Hereford association
held its 20th annual spring sale
Saturday, February 24, at Bas
sett.
The 42 bulls sold averaged
$832. The grand champion bull
was exhibited by H. A. and Rob
ert E. Van Horn, of Page. He was
VH Onward Aster 16th, an Octo
ber 16, 1949, calf, son of Battle
B. Aster 10th and Domestic
Lamplighter 17th. He sold for
$2,000 to Wilford Leach, of Johns
town.
Reserve champion was exhibit
ed by Henry Wood, of Ewing.
He was HW North Star 1st, calv
ed April 22, 1949, grandson of
WHR Ruling Star 43d, and a
Baron Blanchard. He was pur
chased by William Gudgel, of
Johnstown, for $1,500.
The second highest selling bull
was KTO Lad 3d, a grandson of
Domino Lad C 14th and Careys
Domino 20th. Consigned by F. E.
Wentworth, of Mills, he was pur
chased by Louis Hall, of Bassett,
for $1,525.
Benton Marshall, of Crawford,
was judge of the show in the
morning. The cattle were later
offered for sale to a large crowd
3 Holt Men Captured;
Confess Bold Robberies
Clearwater's Night Watchman Darrell Hoffman (above) was
credited with capturing the three burglars who had made a series
of robberies in northeast Nebraska.—The Frontier Photo by John
H. McCarville.
Part of Ihe loot taken from the C. H. Brainard store and the
Farmer's clothing and grocery store at Oakdale is shown above.
This loot was found in their car after the Roberts brothers—Gene
and Richard—and Dale Hines were captured while robbing the
Contois Motor company at Clearwater.—The Frontier Photo by
John H. McCarville.
WORK NIGHT . . . Friday, February 23, was
one in a series of work niihts at the Church of
Christ, Sixth and Grant stipets, where parishon
ers gather regularly to complete their new
church, which was erected last fall. Most of the
work has been done by members. Sanding the
pews (left-to-right) are: Mrs. Norris George,
Mrs. A. C. Utterbaek, Mrs. Floyd Long, Mrs.
Howard Manson (in dark sweater) and Mrs.
Vernon Tietsort. In background is A. C. Ut
terback, of Clearwater, enureh pastor. — The
Frontier Photo.
Youthful Roberts Brothers and Dale Hines
Admit Bank, Postoffice, Other Burglaries
By a Staff Writer
A trio of fledgling Holt county criminals are in custody at the
Antelope county jail. They have confessed to a series of bold, ama
teurish robberies which included the Emmet State Bank, two post
offices, three liquor stores and a variety of other stores.
Being held and awaiting prosecution are:
GENE W. ROBERTS, 25, of O'Neill, and his brother
RICHARD DALLAS ROBERTS. 22. of O'Neill;
DALE HINES, 20. of Inman.
The capture of the three burglars, who embarked on a reckless
crime route only a few months ago, was a unique chapter in law
enforcement annals. Their confessions, brought about by alert po
lice work on the part of Sgt. Jack Knudsen, of the state safety pa
trol criminal investigation bureau, and Holt County Sheriff Leo S.
Tomjack, were equally dramatic.
Trio Lighthearted
After Confessions—
By CAL STEWART
Editor. The Frontier
NELIGH — A cold, wet rain
was drenching the square, red
brick Antelope county jail.
Inside a cell were three Holt
county men whose ambitious and
skyrocketing road to criminal
fame had suddenly come to a
close.
Gene W. Roberts, 25, and his
kid brother, Richard D., 22, both
of O’Neill, and Dale Hines, 20, of
Inman, were behind those cold
bars.
It was late at night—several
hours after they had signed con
fessions and admitted robbing
no less than two postoffices, one
bank, three liquor stores and a
variety of other establishments in
northeast Nebraska.
There was lightheartedness
inside that cell block. No peni
tence, as nearly as I could de
termine. They had told every
thing. It was all over except
for the formalities of the
courts.
They cracked wise and tljgy
laughed. They hummed and they
got off an an occasional bit of
humor. But it was all an obvious
attempt to buoy morale.
Things had been going rather
smoothly. The job at Emmet,
where they chose the Christmas
holidays as the time to loot the
bank and postoffice, had proved
especially interesting. Lots of
publicity.
The cream was used on the
floor to help neutralize the tear
gas because it was handy — in
John Conard’s store. Water, they
thought, would have done just
as well.
Liquor stores—three of them—
were easy. Packaged liquor runs,
into money in a hurry. Easy to
peddle, too.
Those neckties taken from an
Oakdale store were pretty.
“One of those I’d like to keep,”
piped Hines.
“You won’t need it where you
’re going,” chirped one of the
Brothers.
The elder of the Brothers —
Gene — had established a good
war record. He enlisted in the
(Continued on page 4)
JAY C. WEFSO, 59,
STUART, SUCCUMBS
Krotter Employe for 33
Years Dies Here;
Funeral Not Set
Jay C. Wefso, 59, a resident of
Stuart who had been employed
by the Wm. Krotter company for
33 years, died at 1 a.m. Wednes
day, February 28, at O’Neill hos
pital.
He was brought to the hospital
here late Sunday. •
The body is at Biglin Bros,
funeral home pending completion
pending funeral arrangements.
Survivors include: Widow —
the former Alice Schaffer; broth
ers — Robert Wefso, of Rush
ville; William Wefso, of Atkin
son, Holt county assessor; sisters
—Mrs. Charles Burke, of Bassett;
Mr. Francis Stuart, of Stuart;
Mrs. G. Lester Anderson, of Riv
erside, Conn., and Mrs. J. P.
Brown, of O’Neill.
Legion Will Sponsor
Free Dance—
A free dance for inductees, re
servists and service men already
fh uniform will be sponsored Sat
urday, March 3, by Simonson post
93 of the American Legion. E
vent will be held at the Legion
club.
The end of the trail for the
Roberts brothers and Hines
came about 2il5 a.m. on Sat
urday, February 24. Darrell
Hoffman. Clearwater'6 night
marshall, heard a foreign noise
in the neighborhood of the
Contois Motor company while
making his rounds.
He investigated and found one
of the Roberts men and Hines
making their way from the
workshop into the office. At the
moment he first spotted them
they were pulling open a door
with the aid of a flashlight.
One of the party, believed by
Hoffman to have been Richard
Roberts, stayed in the car away
from the building. There were
empty firearms in the car.
Hoffman waited for the inside
duo to emerge from a door and
ordered them to surrender.
Without any resistance, he
marched them off to the Clear
water town jail where he locked
them up. Meanwhile, the third
member was still awaiting his
companions at the car.
Hoffman anticipated trouble
there so he hurriedly aroused a
Clearwater citizen, Dopald Mau
ren, to aid him.
They approached the burglars’
vehicle in another car, got out
and took Richard Roberts with
out a struggle. He was placed in
jail alongside his companions
and later transferred to the Ante
lope county jail at Neligh.
Their vehicle was filled almost
to capacity with loot that had
been stolen earlier that night
from the C. H. Brainard store
and Farmer’s clothing and gro
cery store at Oakdale.
Later S a t u r d ay the Holt
men waived a preliminary hear
ing in Antelope county court and
were bound over to district. A
hearing is scheduled today
(Thursday).
Hoffman, who is partially crip
pled, goes on duty at Clearwater
about 11 p.m.
When Sgf. Jack Knudsen. oi
the slate safety patrol's crim
inal bureau of investigation,
learned tnat the three had been
arrested he said he feit that
this would "clear up a lot oi
things. *
After the Roberta brothers and
Hines had been taken to Neligh
they were subjected to consider
able questioning by both Ante
lope and Holt county authorities.
The three were insisting that
the Oakdale-Clearwater project
(in which they were caught) was
the first.
Knudsen though otherwise.
On Tuesday, Knudsen and Holt
County Sheriff Leo Tomjack
went to Neligh, took young Hines
out of the cell in company with
Hines’s mother and father. He
confessed.
Then the eldest Roberts, not
knowing that Hines already had
told his sttiry, broke down and
told the authorities he was ready
to sign a statement.
Several statements were pre
pared and finally a statement
was drawn that all three readily
signed.
Collective time in questioning
amounted to not more than 3U
minutes, Tomjack said.
Their statement specifically
admitted breaking and entering
the following firms during the
past 10 weeks:
Emmet State Bank, Emmet.
Emmet postoffice, Emmet
Hadar postoffice, Hadar.
Marcellus Implement Co., O’
Neill.
Dankert Service Station,
Chambers.
An Ainsworth liquor store.
A Butte liquor store.
A Butte hardware store.
A Newport liquor store.
C. H. Brainard and Farmer’s
stores at Oakdale.
(Continued on page 4)
Christina Dierks,
Atkinson, Dies
ATKINSON—Funeral services
were held for Mrs. Christina
Dierks at the Presbyterian
church in Atkinson on Tuesday,
February 27.
Mrs. Dierks was born on Sep
tember 26, 1863, and died at her
home in Atkinson Sunday, Feb
ruary 25. Her husband died ma
ny years ago.
Survivors include: Daughters
—Anna Tooker, of San Pedro,
Calif.; Tena Skidmore, of Lin
coln; Margaret Claussen, of At
kinson; sons—Bill, of Scottsbluff;
Henry and Clouse, both of At
kinson; 22 grandchildren and 12
great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Dierks had been residing
with her son, Clause.
>
2d Annual Soil
Conservation Issue—
This week marks the Frontier’s
second annual Soil Conservation
issue. Conservation news may be
found in all 3 sections.