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SEMI-WEEKLY EDITION-FOUR PAGES
VOLUME XXIX
PLATTSMOUTII, NEBRASKA. MONDAY JUNE 20, 1910
NO 4 1
5
MORE OF THE UIHTH
II5URAIICE
Local Stockholders Seem to Regard Suit as Result of Quarrel Be
1 tween Van B. Lady and Other Officers-
From Friday's Dally.
Local shareholders in the Com
monwealth Insurance company of
Omaha read the statement of the
legal troubles of the company, with
considerable interest. They have not
been in the least worried over the
prospective litigation and regard
their money as absolutely secure. In
fact, most of the holders in this city
Judging from conversations with sev
eral of them favor the incorporation
of the Commonwealth with the Royal
Accident Insurance company which
is also a new concern with ample
capital and which will form a large,
powerful and influential company.
The trouble as told by one of the
prominent holders of stock in this
city is that the officers have been
quarrelling among themselves and
have threatened to involve the com
pany in some foolish and unneces
sary litigation. In consequence of
this, an organized effort has been
made to get rid of all the officers and
put new men in the positions who can
work more in harmony.
The Journal's source of informa
tion in the matter states that Lady
who brought the suit day before yes
terday wants to be the controlling
spirit in the company while the of
ficers with whom he Is having the
trouble want him to confine his ac
tivities to writing and managing the
insurance end of the business, leav
ing control and management of the
company's finances and business po
licies to the others. This has been
the main cause of the trouble and
the representatives of the local inter
ests who has been taking an. active
part in the company affairs for some
weeks in confident the matter will
speedily be cleared up and that the
company will open for business with
A
Union Attorney Adopted by the
Red Men Last Night.
The Improved Order of Red Men
held their regular meeting last Even
ing which was quite largely attended
and at which an addition of six new
members was made. The new braves
were given a thorough taste of Red
Man life and learned all the tortures
of the stake and the scalping knife.
Among those who were initiated was
Colonel Charles L. Graves of Union,
who applied for adoption some days
ago. He was adopted and Is now a
good Indian. His battle name ' is
Chief Hits-the-ball on account of his
prowness at the bat. ' He was given
an unusual degree of fierce work on
account of his fiery and ferocious
disposition and because of his gener
ally warlike attitude. He is believed
to have been thoroughly tamed down
and it is thought he will be one of
the most active and energetic war
riors in the tribe. Missouri Tribe
No. 69 is booming and they promise
to have the greatest celebration the
old town ever seen on next Fourth of
July. Preparations, are on foot to
show Plattsmouth, eastern Nebraska
and western Iowa Just what the Red
Men can do when thpy turn loose and
the meeting last night was an en
thusiastic one and eager to get to
the front. The great council of the
Red Men of the state will be held in
this city next fall and the celebration
on the Fourth is merely a forerunner
of that time to come. The order is
expending rapidly and by the time
fall is here nearly every able bodied
male in this locality will have been
adopted and made a good Indian.
The The officers of the local lodge
have been untiring in their work and
want to be able to show the state
this fall that Plattsmouth has suc
ceeded and has built up the largest
Red Man lodge in the state. The
Fourth of July celebration is a step
ping stone and the big celebration
win help a whole lot toward organlz
" ,
ing for the three tinv fot,,i..
.. oi.ii.
around the great council fire this
fall. The public is invited to Join
with the Red Men in booming things
and an especial invitation is extend-!
GRAVES
IS NOW
6000
Hi
TROUBLE
in a short time. So far it is stated
there has been no business done by
either one of the companies owing to
the trouble in getting the friction ad
Justed but this is now in fair pros
pects for settlement and before long
it is hoped both companies will be
put on a sound basis and be doing
business.
The Omaha Bee this morning in
speaking of the trouble has the fol
lowing statement from E. M. Fair
field, president of the company and
one of the men whom Lady seeks to
enjoin:
"With reference to the injunction
suit brought by Van B. Lady to re
strain the directors of the Common
wealth Life Insurance company from
'interfering' wku him, I have only to
say that it's chief characteristic is a
flavor of amusing Impudence in that
It represents an effort on the part
of a single director to control the
discretion of the other seven," Bays
Mr. E. M. Fairfield. "Mr. Lady was
secretary of the company up to June
1, but on that date the directors re
moved him from office, because they
had for some time been dissatisfied
with his work and were convinced
of his unfitness for the position. This
action was considered necessary in or
der to safeguard the interests of the
stockholders and it need scarcely be
said that the directors not only acted
in good faith but were wholly within
their authority. In styling himself
manager of the company Mr. Lady
has assumed a title and authority
which he never had.
"A stockholders' meeting has al
ready been called to consider the mat
ter of the proposed merger with the
Royal Indemnity company, and since
the stockholders possess ultimate
authority in the premises any talk of
conslpracy' to their prejudice is rot."
ed to other fraternities to get into
line with the Indians and have a
grand royal fraternity day.
liyers in Town.
Walter Byers who was so badly in
Jured several weeks since while going
from this city to his home at Rock
Bluffs, has so far recovered that he
was able to be in the city last even
ing. He is still quite badly bruised
up but he is able to get about again,
although his collar bone is not well
and he is bandaged up a great deal
While her.e Mr. Byers took occasion
to call upon the Journal and asked
that a statement be made as to what
he remembers of the affair in which
he received his Injuries. His state
ment he considers that an injustice
was done him in the statement as
to his drinking. He denies having
been drunk at the time of the injury
although he admits he had been
drinking some during the day. He
states-he is confident of his ability
to prove he was sober at that time.
Mr. Byers also exonerates Edward
Wilcox from being responsible for his
injuries and says he is confident that
gentleman had nothing to do with
them, although he does not know
how they happened and remembers
absolutely nothing about what could
have caused them. He also states that
his brother, Charles Byers, was not
with him that day nor was he in
town. Mr. Byers' statement leaves
the matter as to how he actually got
his injuries very much in the dark
and there is positively nothing de
finite to be gathered from him as to
who could have hurt him nor as to
how the injuries could have been re
ceived. The slatements as originally
printed in the Journal were gathered
from a number of sources entirely
disassociated with the affair and they
are left considerably in the dark as
to how the near-tragedy came about
by his statements.
A message received in the city this
morning from Ed. Slocum near Mur
ray states that his mother, a Rlster
of ex-Chief of Police Amick, is very
ill at Mr. Slocum's home. The news
was very alarming and Mr. Amick
entertains slight hopes of her recov
ery. It is hoped by the many friends
of Mr. Amick and the lady that the
"" mm me laay mat tho
. . . 1 ttl ine
n-puji in exaggerated and that sho
may speedily recover.
'
If you want help or Have anythlnr
o sell. tdwtll0 'the ZrT
"WIRELESS" FINDS
VICTIM S HERE
Number of Residents Here Said
to Have Invested in Stock.
From Frlday'a Daily.
, It is. said here that a number ot
Plattsmouth investors have been
"stung" again and this time In the
shape of wireless telegraphy stock,
which they have put their hard earn
ed shekels in. It is not known Just
how much has been sunk in this
matter which went to smash and
smithereens last Wednesday when
postofflce inspectors made a raid on
the New York offices of the United
Wireless Telegraph company and
placed the officers of the company,
including C. C. Wilson, president; S.
S. Bogard, vice president and W. W.
Thompklns, president of the New
York selling agency under arrest.
charging with defrauding the stock
holders of the company.
The United Wireless is the succes
sor of the Deforest Wireless company
and took over the liabilities of that
concern when it went under with no
assets. The modus operandi of the
concern is a matter worthy of curious
study and well illustrates some med
ern methods of swindling.
Inspector Mayer made the arrests
and has the following to say about
the matter.
"There are 28,000 shareholders
of the company throughout the coun
try," said Inspector Mayer in his
statement, "many of whom have
placed their savings in the stock of
the company through false represen
tations made hf its officers. The
real assets of the company'conslstlng
f land, stations, patents, manufactur
ing plants, and real estate of all kinds
appear to be worth at a conservative
estimate $400,000, or an actual worth
of 2 cents a share at par value."
Two million shares have been is
sued at a par value of $10 a Bhare
but the stock has recently been put
up to $50 a share. Thus, argues the
inspector in his statement, "by tak
ing the last amount quoted ($400,
000 of actual assets- at $50 a share,
the stock is really worth as $400,000
ia io ,uuu,uuu,uuu, or f.0004 a
share."
The inspector says the company
was originally incorporated under the
laws of Maine in 1904 as the Amal
gamated Wireless Securities company,
and that it had merely a legal exist
ence until It changed Its name in
1906 to its present title and took over
the assets and business of the de
funt American Deforest Wireless
Telegraph company, which was then
running at a loss and in default In
interest1 on Its bonds, exchanging
therefor its own securities on a 10 to
1 basis.
At this time ,says the statement,
"when officers of the Deforest com
pany were secretly conniving to aban
don it, and leave the stockholders a
mass of worthless securities, its stock
had been forced to an alleged value
of $12.50 a share, or $2.50 above the
par. In the statement issued to the
stockholders of the United there
appeared as an asset stocks and bonds
in other companies $14,148,610. This
refers to the defunct American De
forest wireless stock. . . . Yet to
those persons who ask for exchange
of Deforest for United Wireless the
answer is sent out that the Deforest
is absolutely worthless.
Another item in the statement
sent out to stockholders was patent
and patent rights $5,520,233. The
affairs of the company were recently
audited by a firm of licensed account
ants who placed the book value of
all patents at $20,233.
"The officers of tho company have
sold to the public thousands of shar
es, claiming that they were holding
their own shares and putting the
money received from the public Into
the plants of the company. One of
the officers is believed to have clean
ed up $5,000,000 at $10 a Bhare and
possibly $10,000,000 at the ranging
price of $10 and $50. The other of
ficers of lesser degree have profited
In proportion."
It Is not believed the amount in
vested here is very large but several
have seen prospects of sudden wealth
and grabbed at the chance, only to
find that they have bought a gold
brick. This money Invested In a plant
for Plattsmouth would have hebed
a lot.
Charles H. Parker, fiscal agent for
the United Wireless Telegraph com
pany In Nebraska at Omaha, Friday
morning declared he was one of the
largest stockholders of the company
In the central west.
j .
I'm not a bit
alarmed over the reports of trouble
for tpe company, either," he remark
ed. I
Mr. Parker further declared that
William W. Thompklns selling agent
for the company in New York, who
was arrested for sending an illegal
letter through the malls, had been re
pudiated by the company some time
ago. "Of course, the company may
ultimately be held responsible for
what Thompklns did," said Mr. Park
er, "but his actions were not repre
sentative of the policy of the institu
tion." Mr. Parker announced he had tele
graphed an inquiry to the New York
n. xi , . .
office, for particulars concern ng the
. . . .
Duonnuu. nmi wiiiiiii inn ia a DiiiAmant
shakeup, and would issue a statement
to stockholders immediately upon get
ting a reply
It Is hardly probable many of the
stockholders will care for more de
tails than printed in the inspectors
statement
A
Burlington Employes Bust Them
selves Up.
Prom Frlilnv'n T"nllv
Frank Rauen is going to spend
several weeks taking the benerit of
the Burlington relief as the result of
an accident which took place at the
freight car repair department of the
3urllnEton Bhops yesterday afternoon
He, with a green helper, was engaged
ln carrying a heavy steel piece and
was ready to let the piece down on
the ground. The helper is some shy
on English and Frank spoke to him
in German, the native tongue of the
two, telling him to let it down gent
ly, but Frank s German was
either high tongue or something that
way for the man misunderstood him
and let the steel down with a loud
bang, catching the Index and middle
fingers' of Mr. Rauen's right hand un
der it, and badly mashing and lacer
ating said members. Mr. Rauen was
some peeved over the mishap and
raised quite a commendable wail over
the lapsus linguae as you might term
it. He also speedily hunted up the
company surgeon and had him bind
p his wounds. He will not be able to
return to his work for several weeks
as a result of the hurt.
Henry Steinhauer is another who
is taking a layoff from his work as a
result of an injury received this
morning. While handling a brake
beam it accidently was dropped on his
right ankle, spraining said member
and causing Henry to report to the
company surgeon. The ankle was
dressed and he will have to take an
enforced layoff for some time to
come.
A very severe Injury was received
this morning by Henry Neuman, an
employe of the brass foundry, and he
will be off from his work for quite a
while as the result. He was engaged
in cooling a pot of red brass using a
piece of pipe fitting ror that purpose.
In some manner, It is said Borne water
was on the fitting, and the second
this came in contact with the mass of
molten metal there was an explosion.
the hot metal being thrown over his
right arm. The result was that the
flesh of the arm was burned from a
distance between the elbow and the
wrist to quite a way above the elbow.
The injury was a very painful and
severe one, and will keep him off his
work for some days to come.
A Peculiar Order..
Yesterday R. A. Duff went to
Weeping Water in an automobile and
north of the city he took to the side
of the road to enable a team to pass.
The earth gave way under the car, as
it stood still and it went down into
the creek. J. E. Cask!!! rnmA in
" V MIVUQ
In a short time with a heavv team
attached to his wagon on which, was
an organ. He tried to null nut th
machine and broke his double trees.
Mr. Duff then telephoned to Harry
Rolfe in this city, telling him of hi
condition and asked to send out a
pair of heavy double trees. In ..
criblng his location he said: "Come
up that road until you hear the sound
of an organ, we are all sitting about
the organ and having a eood tlmo
Hurry the double trees." Mr. Rolfe
pondered over tho peculiar order,
but sent out the double trees and
securely an explanation later in the
day. Nebraska City News.
Dr. George II. Gilmore, of Murray,
was an overnight visitor in the city
last night, belna- roifor,i .u.
ri - HI UltJ
,Io,el RHey.
NUMBER
OF ACCIDENTS
RETURN FROM
CONVENTION
All Report Splendid Time at
Auburn Meeting.
From Frlday't Dally.
E. H. Wescott, Don C. York, Rev.
W. L. Austin, Miss Hazel Tuev and
Miss Margaret Mapes, returned this
morning on the Missouri Pacific train
auuuiu wuere mey nave oeen
i a ... J, . , .
ln attendance upon the district meet-
a.A A .. V. V . V.
....
ing of the Epworth league which was
held In the Auburn church at North
Auburn and the Avenue church in
South Auburn. The convention was
a very largely attended and enthus
iastic one and the members report it
one of the best ever held ln this dis
trict or in the state. Mrs. Frank
Gobelman was one of the delegates
present from this city but she stopped
off in Nebraska City to visit with her
husband who is working there for a
few days before returning home
The program for the convention is
pronounced one of the best ever
heard by the returning delegates who
are also loud in their praise of the
treatment which they were accorded
by the Auburn people. The conven
tion was conducted along the lines of
progress in the work of the Metho
dist church and it was preparatory
to the work of the church. The
speakers who bad been secured for
the convention are pronounced among
the best the delegates ever had the
pleasure of listening to. The prln-
ipal speak for the first night was
Rev. Northmp who delivered a
very interesting and Instructive ad
dress upon "Savonarola." This is
pronounced by Mr. Wescptt as a mast
erpiece. Chancellor Davidson of the
Nebraska Wesleyan university, de
livered the principal address at the
second evenlng'session, taking as his
topic "The Call of the Twentieth
Century" and delivering an address
equal In every respect to that of the
speaker of the first evening. Both
were highly appreciated by those who
heard them. .
The Plattsmouth contingent of the
deelgates occupied prominent places
n the convention, Mr. Wescott being
the presiding officer and filling that
position with high credit to himself
and the chapter which sent him there.
In addition Don C. York occupied the
position of chorister and made a dis
tinct hit with all who heard his voice
and noticed his work. Mr. York led
the singing of the convention and also
had a number of solos on the pro
gram. His voice so pleased the dele
gates and visitors that he was called
upon several times for extra solos
which he rendered. The general op
inion of all was that he was peculiar
ly fitted to the position which had
been assigned him and that as a lead
er ln musical work, he ranked very
high. The new field in which he was.
the large and enthusiastic audience
Inspire him and combine to elevate
which he was before,-all seemed to
and raise his work to a very high
plane.
Another Plattsmouth delegate to
win hich honors was Miss Hazel Tuey
who delivered a very able paper upon
the "Relation of the Epworth League
to the Church." Miss Tuey Spoke
entirely without notes and covered
herself and the Plattsmouth chapter
with glory. Her paper is pronounced
an exceedingly able one and well
worthy close study. In the course of
it Miss Tuey took occasion to empha
size the fact that the league of today
means the making of the church of
tomorrow and that the measure of
fidelity which the leaguers develop
will determine the spiritual power of
the church of the future.
The election of officers resulted in
the choice of an entirely new Bet as
the old officers declined re-election.
Mr. Wescott who had served the lea
gue as Its president for three years
past, positively refused to permit the
use ot his name again while none
of the other Plattsmouth delegates
would consider a place.
Matthew Gcilng Lands.
Mrs. Paul Gerlng received a cable
gram from her son, Hon. Matthew
Gering, dated at Hamburg, Germany,
stating that he had arrived at thnt
port on the 13th Inst., snfo and sound
and feeling well. He had a nice voy
age. , Mr. Gering left New York on
the 4th Inst.
Wm. Spangler, wife and daughters
came in this morning from the coun
try and were passengers on the Bur
lington train for Omaha where they
will spend today.
Dr. M. M. Butler Very 111.
The Journal learua today with the
most sincere regret of the illness at
his home in Weeping Water, of Dr.
M. M. Butler. The aged physician,
was taken ill last Sunday suffering
from an attack of ptomaine poison
ing, and his condition has been very
serious. It was expected that word
would be received here of his con
dition today, and the hope of the
many friends of the pioneer are that
It will be more favorable than in the
past. Dr. Butler is one of Cass coun
ty's early settlers, and ho has been
very active in business and politics
since an early day. He has a very ex
tended acquaintance here and all
unite in wishing him a speedy recovery.
IS
SPR1IJBFIELD
Hon. R. B. Windham Attending
Convention at Springfield
Illinoise
From Friday's Dally.
The Journal acknowledges receipt
of copies of the Illinois State Regis
ter published at Springfield, 111., with
full and complete reports of the na
tional convention of the Knights and
Ladies of Security now in session in
that city. According to the paper
this convention is one of the greatest
In the history of the order and is very
largely attended.
The meeting on Tuesday morning
when the convention opened was fea
tured by an address of welcome by
Governor Deneen of Illinois, another
by Mayor John S. Schnepp of Spring
field, by Nicholas Roberts of tho
Chamber of Commerce and by Thom
as E. Lyon of the Business Men's as
sociation. Responses were made by
W. B. Klrkpatrick,' national president
and Samuel Gray of Louisville, Ky.,
member of the law committee. Oth
er short talks marked the session.
This session was marked by the ar
rival of several big delegations and
degree teams with their bartds for the
competitive drill. There were a great
many entries for the prizes and the
drilling was a fine spectacle. The
prizes offered were: First, $400; se
cond, $350; third, $300; fourth,
$250; fifth, $200; sixth, $175, sev
enth, $150, eighth $125. The Judges
were all military men and the prizes
were awarded as follows: First, Capi
tal council No. 1, Topeka, Kas., 94.-
96 per cent; second, Banner council,
282, Kansas City, Mo., 92.52 per
cent; third, Banner council lb5,
Springfield, 111., 91.48 per cent;
ourth, Free Silver council, 198, Pitts
burg, Kas., 90.26 per cent, fifth, Fid
elity council, 53, Sedalia, Mo., 89.85
per cent; sixth, Topeka council, No.
2, Topeka, Kas., 85.36 per cent;
seventh, Pacific council, 457, St. Jos- ,
eph, Mo., 83.83 per cent; eighth, Har
mony council, 618, St. Louis, Mo.,
81.74 per cent.
A grand parade of the visitors and
local councils was also a feature ot
the gathering. A great banquet was
given at the St. Nicholas hotel to
many of the visitors. Among those
attending the convention from this
state are the Honorable R. B. Wind
ham, one of the moHt influential
members of the order in the state.
P. K. (). Convention.
Edgar, Neb., June 16. The twen
ty-first annual convention of the P.
E. O. grand chapter met in the First
Presbyterian church. Officers pres
ent were: Mrs. Myra L. Grimes,
Blue Hill, president; Mrs. Ellington
Britt, McCook, first vice president;
Mrs. Harriet M. Clcarman, Minden,
second vice president; Mrs. Helen S.
Koehler, Hastings, recording secre
tary; Mrs. Andrews, Holdrege, cor
responding secretary; Mrs. Helen
Drake, Beatrice, treasurer; Mrs.
Clara Wilson, Omaha, organizer.
Guests of honor present were: Mrs.
Carrie Petersen, Aurora; Mrs. Carrie
Hateman, Minden; Mrs. Lillian Far
mele, Plattsmouth; Mrs. Flora James,
Lincoln. Forty-two chapters of the
state are represented by seventy
eight delegates. A memorial service
for the members who died tho past
year was held.
Carl Holmbcrg and wiro came in
this morning from their extended
trip to northern Minnesota and will
spend a few days with Mrs. Holm
berg's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gus
Roman before leaving for their home
at Lincoln. They had a very delight
ful trip and hugely enjoyed them
selves during the several weeks they
were gone.
