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PIATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY JOUSNAI
MONDAY, NOV. 5, 1928.
WItmer Sur
renders; Tells of
Wife Slaying
Used Poison, Singletree, Hammer
andAx, He Relates 'She
Smoked, Nagged.'
Nelieh. Neb.. Nov. 2. Ernest
Witmer is in jail at Neligh tonight
after he had given himself up to
police at Norfolk, admitting the slay
ing of his wife, Rosa, on September
26 at their farm home near Bruns
wick.
He arrived in Neligh about 8:30
o'clock in charge of Sheriff Sutton
and Deputy Sheriff Harry Livingston
The young farmer, 26, had been
sought in five states for tne lasi
week before he surrendered early
Friday afternoon at the office of
police Chief Frank Flynn at Nor
folk.
To Hunt Grave Today.
Sheriff Sutton plans to go to
Brunswick Saturday in an effort to
find the body. He was undecided
whether he would take Witmer with
him, although the latter offered to
show the place where he buried his
wife.
At Norfolk "Witmer said Rosa had
begun to smoke cigarets and that he
did not approve. He told Fynn also
that Rosa nagged and quarreled, ana
that on the afternoon of September
15 he decided he could stand it no
longer and would kill her.
Poison, Singletree, Hammer, Ax.
He said he bought poison and put
it in Rosa's beer at supper. When
she became dizzy but did not die,
he hit her on the head with a sin
gletree, then with a hammer and
finally crushed her skull with an ax.
In the moonlight that night he
buried the body about five rods south
of the house, he said.
He elept in the house all night,
he related, and left in the morning.
Not Sorry, He Says.
"I hated her, I hate her yet," he
said vehemently as he waited in the
Norfolk Jail.
"Not a darn bit," he said when
asked if he was sorry.
"She begged me not to kill her
after I hit her with the singletree,"
he said. "But I drove the hammer
into her head." He smiled as he
told of the killing.
He dragged the body from a back
porch for the burial, he said.
Told Mother at Pender.
Witmer had driven a rented car
around Iowa, Minnesota and Illi
nois during the time he was gone,
working near Fort Dodge, la., as a
corn husker for a time. He returned
to his mother's home at Pender last
night, telling her and other members
of the family of the deed.
Leaving his car there this morn
ing, he took a train to Norfolk, hav
ing decided to surrender.
At Pender late today John Wit
mer, 22, younger brother of Ernest,
related the shocking visit of Thurs
day night.
"He .said they quarreled about
her having started to smoke," he
said. "After a quarrel, he said he
choked her, but didn't mean' to kill
her. But when he found he had gone
too far, he just finished it up."
World-Herald.
H00YEE BOUND FOR HOME;
TO BE IN ST. LOUIS TONITE
Washington, Nov. 1. Reaffirming
his confidence in republican victory
next Tuesday, Herbert Hoover head
ed his presidential offensive into the
west today on the last lap of his first
campaign for elective office.
After bidding adieu to the staff at
republican national headquarters.
Hoover paid his respects to President
Coolidge and was to leave at 5 o'clock
this evening for his home in Palo
Alto, Cal., where he will cast his bal
lot November 6th.
En route to the Pacific coast, Mr.
Hoover will deliver a prepared ad
dress in St. Louis tomorrow evening,
and brief talks in at least three
other cities Cumberland, Md., to
night: Louisville, Ky., tomorrow, and
Pueblo, Colo., Saturday evening.
Frank Bishop,
Tekamah, New
Teacher Chief
NORTH PLATTE 'JEFFERSTOWN'
North Platte was "Bill Jeffers
Town" Thursday night. "But Jef
fers Town" appeared in big red let
ters on the Union Pacific depot, with
no "North Platte" to be seen.
And former Locust street, the
main artery connecting the north
and south sides of town through the
business district is Jeffers street for
all time, "whereas it is the inten
tion of the mayor and city council
of North Platte that honor should
be given them that honor bring."
Honor Ex-Call Boy.
The appointment of William M.
Jeffers, former general manager of
the Union Pacific railroad at Omaha,
as vice president in charge of oper
ations of the Union Pacific system
went into effect Thursday. The peo
ple of Jeffers old home town tender
ed him a banquet at the waiting
room of the depot in honor of the
occasion.
Just 525 were in attendance at
the affair, because lack of space per
mitted no more. Seventy-five were
men, whom Mr. Jaffers had awaken
ed for their work when he entered
the Union Pacific system as call
boy, 38 years ago.
Women's Reception Held.
Fifty widows of railroad men ob
jected to women being excluded from
the banquet and won a reception
for the ladies in the afternoon.
Mr. Jeffers was presented with a
painting of the little frame house
where he commenced his career as
son of a Union Pacific shopman and
which still stand at the north end
of the street which now bears his
name. Jeffers street joins a highway
at both of itstermtni.
MAN GAGGED AND BRANDED
New York, Nov. 1. A man identi
(fied by the police as Frank Kirkpat
rlck, of Germantown, Pa., was found
tonight near an old reservoir in the
Bronx, his arms and legs tied and
with brandings on his chest, arms
and legs. The police report describ
ed the brandings as representing the
insignia "K.K. K."
Stuffed in Kirkpatrick's mouth,
apparently as a gag, was a pamph
let ostensibly on the subject of Gov
ernor Smith and his connection with
.the Catholic church.
; The injured man was taken to a
.hospital, where his condition was re
ported critical.
Deeds, Mortgages, Contracts and
all kinds of legal Wanks for sale at
Journal office. .
ASHES OF MACNTDER
BURIED AT MASON CITY
Mason City, Nov. 2. Ashes of C.
H. MacNider, banker, business man !
and politican, were laid to rest here ,
Friday in Elmwood cemetery. ;
The utmost simplicity marked the
funeral services at the family resi-1
dence Thursday. There was neither
eulogy nor music. Rev. C. Burnett '
Whitehead, pastor of St. John church,
officiated.
Messages of condolence were re
ceived by the widow and the son, Col.
Hanford MacNider, former assistant
secretary of war, from President
Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Gen. John
Pershing and members of the
Coolidge cabinet.
The body was taken to Des Moiner
for cremation immediately after the
rites.
Blair Superintendent Wins as Vice
President; Benson Principal
Named Secretary.
Frank E. Bishop, for eight years
I superintendent of Tekamah (Neb.)
schools, Friday was elected president
of District No. 2 of the Nebraska
State Teachers' association in an
nual convention at Omaha. He suc
ceeds Leon O. Smith, assistant sup
erintendent of Omaha chools.
Mary McNamera, Benson high
school principal, Omaha, was elect
ed secretary-treasurer over Bess
Rose Fitl, Fremont, 909 to 343.
Mabel Marsh, county superinten
dent at Blair, was -chosen vice presi
dent over P. A. Oberhauser, super
intendent of Louisville schools, 69 8
to 543.
Delegates Elected.
The following were elected mem-
bers of the delegate assembly:
J. I. Ray, Fremont; E. E. McMil
lan, Omaha; Superintendent R. E. ;
Bailey, Plattsmouth; Feme W.
Neill, David City! Daisy Spickard.
Fremont; Superintendent K. T.
Brunsvold, North Bend; Margaret
Kelley B.lair.
P. A. Overhauser, Louisville; J. j
R. Bitner, Fullerton; Norma Palmer,
Peru; J. E. Marsh, Fremont; H. M.
Eaton, Omaha; Dr. C. X. Hansen,
Blair; E. A. Odman, Wahoo; Jean
ette McDonald, Omaha; Lulu B. Mat
thews, Omaha Mary McNamera,
Omaha; W. R. Pate, Peru; Bertha
Bishop, Papillion; Bess Rose Fitl,
Fremont; I. D. Huston, Osceola; G.
W. Hildreth, Oakland; J. A. Jimer
son. Auburn.
Emma Grogan, Schuyler; Floyd F.
Shack, Blair; J. H. Beveridge, Oma
ha; Charlotte Meadows, Ralston; H.
W. Glasgow, Lyons; Belle M. Ryan,
Omaha; John Ludwickson, Walthill.
Alternates; Ina Shea, Omaha; Dew
ey Ganzell, Rosalie; Elsie Smith,
Omaha. ;
At Tech high Friday afternoon,
picked debating teams from the Uni
versity of Nebraska, debated the
question, "Resolved, That the Eng
lish cabinet form of government Is
preferable to the presiedntlal form
of the United States," before a sec-'
tional meeting on argumentation.
The intermediate grades and the
high school sections also drew large
crowds. Twenty-two other sectional
.meetings were held.
Double Banquet Held.
Friday evening the teachers made
merry at separate banquets for men
and women at Ad-Sell restaurant and
Hotel Fontenelle, respectively.
A traversty on Paul Spor, Aiviera
stage band leader, entitled "Paula
"Sport and the Spice Box Revue,"
featured the entertainment of the
women's banquet. More than 600 at
tended. At the men's stag dinner, attend
ed by 150, many articles, wfrom live
puppies to a large phonograph, pre
sented by Omaha merchants, were
given away. A harmonica quartet of
women teachers serenaded the men.
A reception at Hotel Fontenelle
ballroom climaxed the evening's en
tertainment. Art Randall and his
Royal Fontenelle orchestra provided
music.
The convention will close Satur
day morning with a general session
at Technical high school auditorium.
Many of the visitors will spend the
week-end in Omaba.
FLAG DIPS TO WALES HOODOO
London, Nov. 1. A dispatch to
the Daily Express from El Doret,
Kenya Colony, Africa, today said
that the colors of the Irish Free
State failed to bring luck to the
Prince of Wales in a horse race held
there.
The colors were presented to the
prince by tiny Sheila O'Shea, daugh
ter of Thomas O'Shea, who was a
leading Sinn Feiner in Ireland in
1913. She also gave him a sham
rock. The prince stooped and kissed her,
and then rode to the post. He made
a bad start and did not place at the
finish.
The prince, however, made amends
for losing this race by winning the
next two. The cheering was deaf
ening as the prince nosed his mount
past the post first.
Treasury
Able to Meet
AH Demands
Balance Gives Assurance Low Pcinl
Can Be Passed Without
"Going Into Red"
The Dennison line offers you year
round entertainment goods. Picnics,
lawn parties and outdoor events can
be supplied as well as interior deco
rations, favors, etc., etc. Call at the
Bates Book and Gift Shop.
i Lincoln, Nov. 2. There was a bal
ance of $299,500 in the state general
fund October 31 and as a consequence
there is no doubt that the state trea
sury will get pant the low point of
the year on December 1 without going
"into the red," Deputy Treasurer
Erickson announced Friday.
! Within another month receipts of
.1928 personal and corporation taxe?
will be coming in. he said, and the
I cash reserve is large enough at this
time to meet all demands on the treasury.
Receipts. Exceed Anticipation.
October receipts for the general
fund were Homewhat larger than an
ticipated, the amount being $419.
55 6. Payments from the fund totaled
$568,283. The excess of disburse
bursements over receipts reduced the
previous general balance of -44,231
on September 30 to $299,500 at the
close of business for October.
The total cash balance in all funds
increased by about $68,000 last
month, $3,468,426 to $3,536,135
This gain is accounted for by large
receipts for the state university cash
fund, mainly fees collected in Sep
tember and turne dinto the state trea
sury in October.
Road Balance $317,888.
From the gasoline tax fund $371,
707 was paid out for highway con
struction and service incident there
to, compared with $355,207, which
came in, leaving a balance of $318,
88 8 at the end of the month, while
fhe federal aid road fund was credit
ed with $33S,182.
The temporary school fund was
augmented in October by receipt?
of $55,293. Nothing was paid out of
it. There is now on hand $348,039,
to be increased by November and Dec
ember income, so that the entire
amount credited to that fund on Jan
uary I will be distributed as the first
semiannual school apportionment for
1929.
j Treasury receipts from all sources
i aggregated $1,492,601 during Octo
i ber, while the payments amounted to
$1,424,892. Omaha Bee-News.
DRILLING FOR OIL
TO BE RESUMED
Hastings, Nov. 2. The U. S. Drill
ing company which has been drilling
for oil near Campbell since October,
1923, has reorganized and will start a
new well near Campbell in about
throe weeks.
The former well was abandoned
September 1 on account of water dif
ficulties after reaching a depth of
3,240 feet. Showings of oil are re
ported to have been found at three
different depths. Approximately
$130,000 was spent on the former
well.
Phone your news to the Journal.
New York 239 West 39th Street
Chicago 367 West Adams Street
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"The Shop of Personal Service"
Plattsmouth, Neb.
