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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1910)
K. State Historical Boa. moutb be ourna 4 SEMI-WEEKLY EDITION FOUR PAGES VOLUME XXIX PLATTSMOUTII, NEBRASKA. MONDAY JUNE 13, 1910 NO 40 3 platte 1,1. KM SHOOTS HIS WIFE All TUDflRT H IIIIIUIII SLASHES S IITU u I III ( III (Mill L. Mr. Karth Was Formerly Employed by Kunsman & Ramge Before His Removal to Salt Lake City. Utah From Friday' Daily. A copy of a Salt Lake newspaper received In this city this morning by Robert W. Sherwood conveys the startling news of the attempt of M. Karth, a butcher, formerly of this city to kill his wife and commit suicide at that place. Karth and his wife lived in this city for about one year, coming here from Schuyler, Neb., and leaving some eight months since for Omaha and late for Salt Lake where the tragedy occurred. According to the Salt Lake papers the crime was caused by drink, al though those who are acquainted with the affairs of the parties when they lived here will hesitate at be lieving this to be the underlying mo tive. The affair took place on Mon day morning at 11:45 o'clock when Karth rushed into his home at 144 West Third South street and, after he was going to kill himself and pull ed a knife across his throat. It all happened so quickly that I can hard ly realize that I am hurt he, why, perhaps my husband is dead by this time. I hope the children are all right." At this point she became hysterical and the attending physician forbade her talking more. The little son of the couple, Paul, ran to the home of Mr. Karth's sister, a Mrs. Highland, rooming in appartments Bome distance from the scene of the tragedy, and told her of the affair. She hurried to her sister's side and when she first en tered the blood-smeared room she nearly fainted. She regained con trol of herself when she was told her sister was In no Immediate danger and entered the bed room- The sis ters gazed at each other a moment when they met and then both burst SOME IB II hurling a 6tream of profanity and; into tears. execrations at his wife shot her three According to the sister, Karth and times with a small calibre revolver. The woman fell to the floor of the bedroom in which she was at the time of the shooting and Karth af ter taking a look at her cried "My God, I have killed her and will kill myself too," and ran out of the room to the kitchen where he picked up a butcher knife from the table and slashed himself from ear to ear. He turned with the blood streaming from his wounds and ran into the dining room where he fell to the floor with his head against the din ing room table. The sound of the shooting and the falling of the bodies together with the screams of Karth's two small children, aroused the neighbors who summoned the police. "They found1 Karth lying in a pool of blood on the dining room floor, apparently in his last throes and they Immediately sent him to the emergency hospital where the police surgeon examined him and ordered him taken to St. Mark's hospital. At the time the pap er went to press Karth's condition was reported as extremely critical and no hopes were entertained for his recovery. A physician and surgeon was call ed to attend Mrs. Karth and he found her suffering from a bullet wound which had entered her should er and passed through the body, fracturing the clavicle. She had al so been shot through the left side of the head and through the left hand. The surgeon had her taken also to the same hospital where her husband was. Her wounds were pronounced as. not being dangerous and she will undoubtedly recover. At the time of the shooting Karth was in the employ of Albert Smith & Son, butchers, having gone to work for them some three weeks ago. Last Wednesday he took a layoff on account of alleged illness and was expected back to work on Monday. According to his wife she expected him to return to work on that day also and he had left the house with that understanding. According to the story told by Mrs. Karth to a reporter who visited her at her home, she didn't seem to know Just why he attempted to kill her and seemed to think drink was responsible for It. According to the reporter Mrs. Karth sat upon the edge of a bed supported by a neigh bor and told her story between hys terical cries of fear that Karth would return and kill her and the two children. She said: "We never did get along well to gether" she said, "but of late my husband has been drinking very heavily and he has treated me terri bly. I never really feared him un til the last few days when he has looked at me as If he wanted to eat " me. I did not think of trouble when he left the house this morning to go to work. He went away this morn ing but came home drunk. I was working about tlio house and his ugly expression and manner when ho came In made mo a bit nervous "He had not been in the house ions when he began to talk awfully to me. Ho called me names ant! paid he would kill me. I didn't know what to do and was Just wondering where I could get help when he pull ed his revolver. I dont remember much after that only that ho said his wife had been married for about fourteen years and went to Salt Lake from Omaha. She claimed that all the trouble the couple had was through drinking excessively. Chief of Police Barlow of Salt Lake on Sunday receiving a letter from R. Sherwood & Son of this city addressed to M. Karth, care of the chief of police. This letter contained a bill for 4.65 which Karth had neg lected to pay when he left here and attention was cailed to several other bills he had owed and which he had forgotten. This had been turned over to Karth. Karth and his wife had a great deal of trouble when they first came to this city. Previous to their com ing here, Mrs. Karth had eloped with a barber from some place out In the state and had lived with him at Kansas City, Mo. The two chll dren of the couple, a boy, Paul, now 10 years of age and a girl, Bessie, aged 14, had been sent by Karth to his sister's to live after their mother ran away. Later Karth found her at Kansas City where the barber is said to have deserted her and he then brought her to this city where he secured employment with Kuns man & Ramge. The couple decided to get the children back and the sister with whom they had been left declined to deliver them up. Karth then instituted suit for their pos session in county court here, bring ing habeas corpus proceedings against the sister and her husband The action was looked on as cur ious and some doubt expressed as to the Jurisdiction of the local court but the sister and her husband ap peared and after the trial of the matter had been entered on, the case was settled, Karth paying for keeping the children and an add! tlonal sum for erpenses and the like. Karth was a good workman while here and was personally rather well liked by those who knew him. He was a fine looking man, being rather tall and well built, dark complexion ed with dark eyes and hair. The wife was a rather large, well formed woman with handsome brown eyes and of attractive appearance. At some time she had had her hair bleachel and it was a golden yellow in color. Karth was intensely Jeal ous of her while they lived here and it was evident that their married life was anything but pleasant. The woman always conducted herself with the utmost circumspection while here and so far as known, gave him no grounds for his Jealousy. The news of the attempted double tragedy will doubtless be received with a great deal of surprise by those who were acquainted with the couple. Platte Lodge I. O. 0. F. Ha Room Newly Decorated. The members of Platte Lodge No. 7, I. O. O. F., have just completed lots o fwork on their lodge rooms at their hall on lower Main street and now have quarters second to none in the city. The work has taken them ! some time and has been an expensive task but the result fully Justifies the outlay as the rooms look mighty spick and span in their new gar ments. The large lodge room on the third floor has been thororughly overhauled,! having received a brand new coat of paint throughout, the floor being finished in dark brown1 which shines brilliantly' especially under gaslight. The ceiling has been finished In light paint, while the walls have also been looked after and the walnscoating finished in col or to harmonize to harmonize with the floor and ceiling. The sldewalls have also received a fine coat of paper of a very handsome and at tentive pattern. In addition the furniture has also been newly varnished so that it looks as if entirely new. The entire effect is very neat and artistic and shows the hard work which the mem bers have put in. The walls are sur mounted with appropriate pictures Including the charters of the lodge handsomely framed. The original charter, granted to Platte Lodge No. 7, on August 24, 1862, hangs on the wall, and it is an ancient document of much worth and great interest to the lodge members. The writing up on it now becoming somewhat faded and worn and It is suggested that it be preserved in a glass case, such as the United States uses to preserve ancient and holy documents. Doubt less some action will be taken to pre' serve this ancient relic as the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the local lodge is but a little, over two years away. The work of the paperhangers, painters and others is not confined to the lodge room, but the antl room and the paraphernalia room has also been given a bath of paint and new paper garnishes the walls. In ad dition linoleum has been laid on the floors and this has vastly improved the looks of ihe place. Altogether the money which the lodge has paid out has been well and Judicially ex pended, and speaks well for the en terprise and vigor of the members of the order. Most people do not know that Platte lodge is the third oldest in the state, and by actual existence is the Becond, but such is the fact. In point of actual existence Platte lodge Is exceeded by only one other lodge and is now close to Its half centen ary. Doubtless the coming of this anniversary will be observed with appropriate exercises and will com memorate a great event in the his tory of local Odd Fellowship. The romms of the Rebekahs are on the second uoor of the building and have not been gone over as yet, as they are in good shape. On this floor Is located the banquet hall of the order together with its kitchen, both large, commodious and neat Altogether the lodge has a set of rooms which they can well be proud of, and which will rank with the best in the country. A Different Statement, Night Policeman II. Trout takes exception to the statement In the Journal that he and Watchman Young witnessed the difficulty be tween John Jones and Harvey on Wednesday night and states that the two were a block away when the trouble happened and when they ob served the crow gathering he went there and tried to find out what the difficulty was but no one would tell him. Jones had left at that time. When he was going to the trouble he met Harvey who bad his hat off and who was running from the scene of the row. Trout accompanied the chief when the latter arrested Jones at the barn, according to his version of the stoty. BELLEVUE COL- 111 I 10 AVE u E Jos. Sedlak, a young man employ ed in the Burlington repair shops, sustained a badly bruised arm and cut fingers this morning while at his work. He slipped and fell from a trestle upon which he was work ing and lighted upon a chisel which was lying on the ground. He sus tained severe bruises ana several cut ringers which necessitated the services of the company Burgeon and which will keep him on the relief for pome days to come. For Railway t'ountnissloner. W. C. Brooks, the popular Beatrice traveling man, Is in the city today visiting with his customers and, in- cidentallyjooklng after his fences, he being an active candidate for state railway commissioner. Mr Brooks is considered the leading can didate at present for that nomina tion and Is making an active canvass for the place. He has been over the larger part of the state and reports tne outlook very favorable. He thinks chances for Democratic suc cess very good, and regards the plat rorm as tne one critical thing to look after. He Is not a county op tlonlst, and I3 in hope that tho con vention will turn down any plank of that kind. Mr. Brooks has been making this city for many years and hes a wide acquaintance here. He Is very popular and has many friends who hope to see him secure the nom ination for the place at the state primaries. Failure of the Tiling to Arrive Causes the Delay. From Friday's Dally. Work on the Chicago avenue ma cadamizing came to a halt again this morning pending the arrival of the tiling for use on that street. This tiling was to have been here not later than Tuesday last, but it has failed to show up as yet. It is look ed for every day, however, as it was ordered from Omaha last Saturday and should have been loaded out of there Monday. The failure to get it here on time is embarrassing to Councilman Will who has charge of the work and he la somewhat irri tated over the failure of the material to arrive. The work has been getting along nicely and the grading of the avenue is in good shape. Councilman Will has an excellent force of men at work and they are earning good money and giving the city valued re ceived. The arrival of the tiling will do a whole lot toward hurrying the work along and it is more than prob able next week will see it in. place and the placing of the rock com menced. The Improvement on the avenue is already very marked and the looks of the street has been ira measurably Improved. One feature which was an eyesore to everyone living along the avenue was the old Edgerton mill which has been razed and the remains of which were taken away very soon. This old ruin was in the street and it had to be gotten out of the way of the graders in ad ditlon to being such a mlserabl scrap heap that it irritated the people be yond measure. In connection with the Chicago avenue macadamizing, attention has been called to the plans for the ma cadamizing of the proposed new pav ing district which comprises the block between Sixth and Seventh streets on PearL It is proposed to macadamize this block on the same plan as Sixth and Main streets are paved, viz: with the arch inverted This Is pronounced to be not feasible by those familiar with the work as a current would carry out the small rock and in case of flood there is a strong current down this street, Is proposed to remedy this by ce mentlng the macadam and making a solid bed of It. This process will in sure it being permanent and will amount to nearly a concrete pave ment. A number of the property owners who have had the matter under advlsoment have come to the conclusion that this is the thing to do and intend to urge this pro cess upon the other owners. The additional cost will be more than saved in making a solid, substantial road way which will carry any flood from the Chicago avenue sewer and still remain intact. Mr. Will is strong advocate of cementing the macadam and does not believe it would stand on an Inverted arch un less this is done. The progress of work on the ave nue Is very gratifying to the city authorities and is meeting with the approval of the citizens of the Third ward as well as tho farmers who want to trade in the city. It means that this summer and fall will se a fine roadway into the city com pitted and that tho fall rains will not stop traffic as they did Inst fall Tho road grader has been unod on tho other avenues and Iibb dono very much toward getting them In tern porary repair but more work will bn needed on them. math gave a rendition of "La Rega- ta Venezlana" from Liszt. This was followed by orations from two of the graduates. Miss, Edith Atwater gave discussion upon "College Val ues." William Primrose spoke on College Standards for Leadership." Mr. Primrose Is also a graduate of the Omaha Theological Seminary. Clen Rice rendered two musical se- gault on He Btate8 that ne had lections. Dr. Theodore G. Soares of the Unl it J. IJ. Nichols, of Union, was an over night victor In tho city, being registered at the Hotel Riley Mark White and wife are visitors today in tho city, driving up from their homo this morning. Hound Over to District Court. Oklhaoma Vandervert whom tha officers recently took into custody at Tender, and returned to this city to face a charge of wife desertion, this morning was arraigned befora Justice Archer and coyly admitted that the allegations in his wife's com plaint was true and that he was guil ty of the charge of leaving her and four children to be buffeted about upon the sea of life without his man ly support and aid. Justice Archer is not a fanciful creature regarding this offense and if be had had the say so Vendervert would have gotten 999 years. As it was he was remand ed to Jail pending proceedings in dis trict court and bound over until the next term. He was unable to fur nish bond and in consequence will remain in Jail until September. Mist Florence Baird and Mr. Carl Oscar Larson Among the Graduates. From Friday's Dally. Yesterday at Bellevue was held another commencement for the col lege located at that point. A class of fifteen were graduated, there being ten young men and five young lad ies in the class. Of these two came from this city, they being Miss Flor ence Baird was takes the degree of B. and Mr. Carl Oscar Larson who took the like degree. The ex ercises were very interesting and at tracted a very large number of visi tors, many of whom went from this city. The exercises took up a great deal of the day and were not com pleted until the evening, those from this city, returning on the late Bur lington train. The exercises were presided over by Dr. Stookey. The graduates with the faculty marched in to a selection . rii f ,. 1 rr--l..,..l. -1- uom merman, mu.cue .uumpuiw, Gideon Archer and John Op. 20, played by Misses Flchter and Harkln8 ended ,n a melee jn whlca Mitchell. Dr. C. L. I'nelps pronounc ed the invocation. Miss Eva Wolte- EID AND JOHN HAVE A HUP Which Results in a Battered Face and Badly Slashed Hand A personal difficulty last night GId sustained a battered up counte nance and John had one of hla hands slashed up. The stories of the two men differ widely as to tho facts which led up to the matter and to what really transpired. Accord ing to Archer they were discussing a private matter between themselves having met on Washington avenue near the Turner hall, when Harklns made a sudden and unprovoked as- turned his head away from Harklns with the Intention of leaving when ersity of Chicago gave the address the lfttter guddenlv ,aunched . Very of the day. "A Modern Philosophy heayy blow wh,cn canght Archer oa 01 uie. ur. scares maue n piain the Hght B,de of the face juBt a,ong that he, was not speaking of an aca- B,de tne eye Tne force ot the blow demlc philosophy, but of a practical, knoched hlm to the ground and tt3 every aay wonting creea. ho atllrt(i t p .. narkins ran The address of Dr. Soares was fol-Lwa t,arkin8. on tne other hand. lowed by a few remarks from Dr. E. malntaln8 that Archer 8,a8hed nIra H. Jenkins of Omaha. He spoke very acrog8 the hand...,tn . knlfa biifore hopefully of the future of the col- h(J gtruck hlm He nianlaIn8 that lege, saying that the college had a hfl wa8 not gullty of an a88ault but great friend raised up In its behalf wa8 morey defeIldIl,g himself from In the person of Dr. Robert McKanzIe Archer-B knlfe. The difficulty la the new secretary of the college gald to have boen brewlng for 8ev. board, whom he personally knows. (lftV. 1tw()n ,hft two mpn .n,i Dr. Stookey, acting for the board lt dld not surprise their mutual of trustees, conferred the degree of frlend9 who were aware of the feel. doctor of divinity upon the Rev. R. inB. W. Taylor of Tekamah. The pre- immediately after the trouble Har- sentatlon of the year's prizes and kln9 vl8ited a loca, BUrgeon and nad athletic letters was a feature. ki ,onfi ArtaaiA it mn nnt vr The afternoon was devoted to an bad cut aUhoueh rather painful. It alumni reunion. Prof. Willis Kerr, la ooIj ha .ov. tho rnaa n h 00 of Westminister college, deliv ered an address upon "Attitude." The injury that he was fooling with a fellow and cut his hand and that quet at Fontenclle hall and the pres ident's reception. Members of the Alumni assocla tlon at their banquet last night com pleted their $10,000 endowment fund by pledging $5,200 the balanse week closed with the alumni ban- he denled having been ,n a fight- It is also Bald that he stated t others that he had chopped his hand. He had hardly hau the Injury taken care of when Archer visited the same surgeon and had his face dressed and he stated that harklns had as- needed. It required eighteen mln- Laulted hlm. Archer's face plainly utes to raise the money. evinced that he had been hit nrettv C. E. DIckason of Omaha, an old hard a8 there wag a arge 8WeliIng time student responded to a toast whlcb had been broken open by the and after describing the needs of the force 0f tne Diow on the right side. oiiege anea ror suusuriptions. rour After having his injuries dressed thousand eight hundred dollars had Archer vlBlted Police Judge Archer been previously pledged by alumni and fiIcd a complaint against Har and ex-students, and the remaining kjn8 whom chief of Police Ralney $5,200 was secured In Just eighteen took into custody about 9 o'clock. minutes. The amounts ranged from Harklns who has been working for $50 to $500, and there was hardly a the city and who had quite a sum ot pause. Dr. Ernest of Bellevue, the money due hlm for work, made sult- chalrman of the finance committee able arrangements for his appear- expects that when the members of ance this morning and he was allow-. the association who were not at the ed to go and appear at 9 o'clock this banquet are heard from the total will morning. This morning he was on not ne less man iis.uuu. hand and Dlead not guilty but owlne The bansuct was a great success to the absence of the complaint no outside the monev raised. Mr. Will- hcai-in oa t,,,i .n.i h- ..., ...... vutiMnwwou uvt Him liid lhod nasi is ft.err, uu 01 umana was loasimasi- continued until tomorrow morning er. The silver-loving cup, presented nt ft o'rlnek. Dy rormer president Guy w. wads- Archer was at home this morning worth, was won by the class of 1903, but came down to the surgeon's of- Mrs. Dr. Patton of Omaha, president fre about 11 o'clock to have his face for the largest representation pres- dressed again. ent of their former class. Eighty per cent of the graduating class re- Jerome Andrus, marshal of Green- turned after a seven years' absence, wood, came down this morning from ana nearly bo per cent of their total that place to attend court as a wit- unaergraauate enrollment. ness in a case. Mr. Andrus hna nnt- II. T. Clarke, Sr., of Omaha, the been having much trouble this week founder of the collego, was present with malefactors who will imbibe not tho latter part of tho evening and wisely but too well, and he halls with expressed great pleasure ot tho spirit delight the proRnect that them win bo a let up in the run of Jags Boon as a dispensary is to be opened at West Lincoln. This Mr. Andrus is satisfied will relievo Green Mrs. Mlckelwalt of Glcnwood, la., the Lincoln and Havelock noonta wh passed through tho city this morn- make bo much trouble for the cood i-11 iwuio iiuii.b uner a visn wun citizens there, While In the eltv WilntliMa ami frlrwla nt A,V...M ! . . ' " "k nuuui.i. mr, Anarus oniermi ttm t,. Neb. She changed trains here, com- nal sent to his address at Greenwood- ing up irom mo soutn on the M.,P. and hereafter will get all the Cass .lis uiuiumii. iCOtin V nnu-H Hori;r,1 I ..... shown. Following the bnnquet a re ceptlon was held at tho homo of the president, Dr. S. W. Stookey.
