Nebr. State Historical Society
VOL. NO. L
PLATTSHOUTH, NEBRASKA, KONDAY, MARCH 5, 1934.
NO. 9
Death Comes
to Judge Begley
Sunday Evening
Strieker. With Heart Attack at Home
as He Turns Off Radio Twenty
Years en District Bench.
The death of Judge James T. Beg
ley, occurring here in the early even
ing Sunday, takes away from his ac
tivities one of the most distinguished
and honored members of the bench
and bar of the state and from the
as
- . .
r
community here one of its most out
standing figures and one who had
given the beet years of his life to the
service of the people of the state.
The end came suddenly and with
out warning to Judge Begley at the
family home in the north part of the
city, at 6: SO p. m. Judge and Mrs.
Begley had with them at the time of
the death, Mrs. R. F. Patterson, a
neighbor, and Mrs. Floyd Harding,
sister of Mrs. Patterson, who is visit
here, they calling for a short visit
with the Begley family. Judge Beg
ley arose to turn down a radio and
was suddenly stricken, ding almost
instantly, as he fell to the floor.
Death was pronounced a" due to
an heart attack by Dr. R. P. West
over who arrived at the Begley home
in a few moments. Judge Begley
had suffered from this malady for
months and had a sliglit attack some
time ago and had just recently re
turned from an outing in the south
which it was hoped would benefit
his health.
Judge Begley has had a more than
usually brilliant career in his chosen
life work of the law and was recog
nized as one of the most outstanding
members of the district bench in the
Army Board to
Investigate Rob
bery Attempt!
Action to Fully Ascertain All Facts
as to Actions of Three Soldiers
in Bank Sticknp Here.
A board of inquiry into the action
of three soldiers of the 17th infantry
in attempting to hold up the Platts
mouth State bank in this city Wed
nesday afternoon as well as the death
of Private First Class Clyde A. Dur
ham, was ordered Thursday by Col.
T. M. Anderson, commanding officer
of the regiment.
The officers that form the board
of inquiry are Captain II. A. Austin,
Captain A. W. Lauschner and Lieu
tenant John W. Keating. This board
wil make a full investigation of the
attempted robbery as well as the kill
ing of Durham and the shooting of
Langston while they were engaged in
the robbing attempt, the report to be
sent to the war department at Wash
ington for the records.
The action of Durham, considered
state and in his service lias served
often with the state supreme court
in hearing.
James T. Degley was a member of
one of the pioneer families of Sarp3'
county, he being born on a farm near
Springfield fifty-four years ago and
where he grew to manhood and re
ceived his education in the Spring
field schools. He later attended the
Univtr.ity of Nebraska law college
from which lie graduated in 190G and
opened his law offices at Papillion.
His first public office was that of
county attorney of Sarpy county, he
being induced to make the contest for
that office by the residents who wish
ed to have the liquor conditions at
. .
"." a. - 7- ...
V
t - '7V
Fort Crook City, remedied, and in
this he proved successful, bringing
a strict law enforcement to that sec
tion. The county board of Sarpy county
appointed Judge Begley to the county
judgship of that county in the early
part of 1913 and but a short time
later he was appointed by Governor
John H. Morehead to 'jc Judge of the
second judicial district, in 1913, suc
ceeding Judge H. D. Travis of this
city. The appointment brought to
the bench one of the ablest men that
has held this position in the history
of the state. He has been repeatedly
re-elected to the bench with large
majorities and the greater part of
the time without opposition.
Judge Begley was also active in
the Masonic circles of the city, serv
ing as master of Plattsmouth lodge
No. 6, high priest of Nebraska Chap
ter No. 3 and commander of Mh. Zion
commandery No. 5.
Judge Begley is survived by the
widow, Mrs. Irma Eegley, one daugh
ter, Mrs. Dale Jacques of Alexandria,
Nebraska, and one son, James F. Beg
ley, a junior at the University of
Nebraska, as well as a number of
brothers and sisters.
one or liie most efficient members
of the regiment, has come as a great
shock to the officers of the regiment
and the men of his company, he hav
ing had a splendid record in hi3
of
soldiering and was given the honor
hnvino- h a nnmo t'AO&i i.n thp
1 lininnirliirc Vin 1 1 l n r rt trio Tnct '
r his work as a soldier. He had
been in service ten years, re-enlisting
twice after reaching the rank of cor
poral. He was a member of the Fort
Crook rifle team and also of the Na
tional rifle team in 1932.
A number of the officers detailed
on the case were here Thursday to
make personal inquiry into the case
in preparation for their report.
POST IS BE0ZEII
From Thursday's TaI1y
Sometime early this morning the
electrolier post on the east side of
Sixth street near Pearl was broken
off when struck by a car or truck.
The person driving the vehicle was
able to get away from the scene be
fore the accident was discovered by
police. A clue to the identification
of the party has been secured and it
is hoped to have him located and
made to pay for the cost of the electrolier.
Happy hundred
Hail Advent of
New River Eras
Former Governor Weaver Is Chief I
Speaker at Eanqnct to Cele
brate Start of Y7oik.
From Thursday's Daily
Last evening at the American Le
gion building some 150 of the resi
dents of Cass county gathered to en
joy a banquet that was arranged
to honor the event of the Etart of the
improvement of
the Missouri river.
and making a great commercial,
waterway for the middle west.
The event was one of the Happy
Hundred banquets sponsored by the
Chamber of Commerce and which I
brought to the gathering many of the J
distinguished residents of the state,!
two former governors and a possible
forthcoming governor being among
those gat lured at the spr alien' table
as well ar reveral of tLe veteran river
boosters cf Omaha.
The banquet which fittingly had
Ssh as the thief diih, was served by
tne ladies ct the American Legion
Auyiliary and the tables had as cen
terpieces smail boats.
The tcast list was presided over
by II. Foster Patterson, principal cf
the local high school and who intro
duced a number of the guests of the
evening. Senator W. B. Banning and
Philip Rihn of Union; Elmer Sund
strcm, James Corum, George Erem
iner and Ralph Larson of Louisville;
I. T. Collister. J. D. Oliver and V.. J. ;
Hardeman, of the A. Famty Co.,
contractors on the river work; Ray
Misner, distri. t commercial manager
of the Lincoln Telephone Co.; Alex
Geist and J. II. Helms, also of the
telephone company; J. A. Sunderland,
C. C. George and J. Willis Wolf. Om
aha, leaders in the fight for Missouri
river ravigaUoa -and who were -guests
of H. A. Schneider for the event.
Mr. Patterson then presented W.
G. Kieck, county atomey. who in turn
presented former Governor George L.
Sheldon, now of Jackson, Mississippi,
who briefly greeted the old friends.
Judge A. H. Duxbury was called
upon and presented Bert Iliekey.
county director of the CWA work and
who was greeted by the banquet
party.
Mr. Patterson also presented A. J.
Weaver, Jr., of Falls City, who had
accompanied his father on the trip
to this city.
Mr. Sunderland spoke briefly of the
days when he had seen steamers ply
ing the Missouri river and the new
days when this traffic was about to
be resumed as the result of the excel
lent fight made by the men who had
believed in this theory through the
years.
The first formal address of the
evening was by Captain J. M. Young,
of Omaha, the officer in charge of the
Omaha district of the river improve
ment proposition which includes
from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the
Yellowstone river in Montana. Mr.
Young sketched briefly the change in
time that made the work on the
river necessary for the successful
navigation proyram. In the early
days there were two modes of travel
to the west, the river steamers and
the covered wagons. At the same
time the river packets drew some two
to three feet of water and then the
journey was a matter of weeks and
a part of the time stuck on sand bars,
I tod .IV (hp hots; nncb harms a rm
" '
. voy of eicht or nine, each of which
nine.
can carry as much as a small train,
requiring a channel of six to eight
feet deep. The scouring of the chan
nel was to be made by the current
and for this reason dikes and re
vitements were being placed along
the stream that would insure a safe
deep channel suitable to the commer
cial uses of the age. The river could
be made suitable for navigation.
Capt. Young stated, and would be,
when the government plans were
carried out. The Missouri river from
Kansas City to St. Louis was in prac
tical use and the stream from Kansas
City north to Sioux -City could also
be made navigable. The building of
the Fort Peck reservoir in Montana
would insure the proper amount of
water in the river at all times as the
surplus -water was impounded and
held until needed. Captain Young
also presented C. C. Cook, area engi
neer ,y who is located at Nebraska
(Continued on page 3.)
PURCHASES SHOE
repair BusiiTEss
Frank Chovanec, well known resi
dent of this community, lias pur
chased the shoe repair business as
Iv.ell as shoe L-tock ov.-.tej lr.
Miles
M. Alien, moving tne same
to the
Donat !
an ex-'
building. Mr. C'hcva::t-c is
periencd sho repair man
prentij-cd with cTcelltTU cji:
ana iSi
ipment j
to look al'Ur all cf t1.
re -id en ts cf the com:
lint-. The stock and i
i- ;ueuj of the
u::ity in tills? '
liaehinery wa-
i moved to'Jav and tu'
luiildiujv will i
soon be ready for tfrv formal ope
ijng cf the new plant.
Deputy Sheriff
Lancaster is to
Receive Reward
ITefciaika Bankers Association and
Cmaka Clearing House Associa
tion Will Present $250.
The announcement v.as made in
Omaha Friday evening that the Ne
braska State bankers arsoeiation and
the Omaha Clearing House associa
tion were joining in the presenta
tion of an award of ?2."0 to Deputy
Sheriff J. E. Lancaster of CaE3 coun
ty. The former reward for the killing
of a bank robber in the act cf rob-
bing a bank was withdrawn several
years r.go by the state bankers asro-
ciation, but the splendid uork of Mr.
Lancaster has led to the Omaha Clear
ing House association to offer $150
and the state association will con
trihuls 5100 as a token of apprecia
tion at the crushing of the bank rob
bery in this city.
This L. a nice recognition cf tbe
line service o? Mr. Laf.eurttr and one
that he is well deserving of receiv
ing. HAVE SPLENDID MEETTJTG
The ladies aid society of the Meth
odist church held one of the most
interesting meetings of the winter
season Thursday afternoon at the
church parlors, the evening being cf
a patriotic nature and to which had
been invited members of the various
societies of the city.
The main address of the afternoon
was by R. Foster Patterson, principal
of the high school, who discussed the
matter of "Peace and War," a time
ly and well given address on the
world conditions today when the na
tions of the earth are busily arming
and nervously watching the actions
of their neighboring nations, the
conditions being even more acute
than those prevailing in Europe in
19.! 3 and the early portion of 1914
when the world war broke in all its j
fury. The speaker urged a better!
understanding between nations?, a
greater appreciation of their several
interests and the need for the spirit
of brotherly love among nations and
individuals. The address was one
thai was appreciated by all who were
in attendance and was given in the
impressive manner of Mr. Patterson
to leave his thought long with those
who heard it.
Heads cf the various societies were
called upon for short remarks, Mrs.
E. II. Wescott for the Daughters of
the American Revolution; Mrs. H.
L. Thomas for the American Legion
Auxiliary and Mrs. Val Burkle for
the Woman's Relief Corps.
Mrs. Jack Figley was heard in two
very beautiful vocal offerings.
At the close of the afternoon
dainty and delicious refreshments
were served by the hostesses of the
afternoon.
Hotics Farmers
We are now contracting
for Siveet Com, Peas,
String Beans and
Tomatoes !
flcrfolk Packing Co.
Plattsmouth, Nebr.
Phone 88
i
! i iaueiS Uose
leason with Vic
tory Over Wahoo
Score cf 23 to 7 tor Locals Platts
nicath Storz Hook Co. I of
Glenvvood 14 to 11.
The harkctball
hrd a full card c
tit? Vlgli school gy
fans last
evening
entn tainment at
.....
jr.i--!j'd to mark the close- of the sea-
srn i.ere lor ti!" high school team
who annexed a game from Wahoo
by the sxorc cf 3 to 7, while in tlie
o:ieni:ig the Plattsmouth Storz team
i-.osed out Co. I of Glen wood by the
aore cf 14 to 11.
The high school game was one in
which barring the first seconds of
play the visitor: had no chance in
!tl
l.a contest and wc-re smothered by
lie Platter definse as well as unable
lo chfil: the local offem-.ive and had
the team been hitting their usual
stride a large rcore would have been
rolled as they were bombarding
t li s vicitors hcop the greater part of
the time.
Im the oper.irg quarter McCleary
rccred two field goals and Iliner one
for a six point start while Olson with
a field goal scored two for Wahoo.
The second quarter saw the honors
even as the teams battled, Hiner se
curing a field goal and Armstrong a
free toss, while for Wahoo, Middle-
ikuff had a free toss to his credit and
Fuller a field goal.
The third quarter saw the Platters
pull away from the Indians as the
vk-itors were held scoreless while
Coach Rot hert's boys were hustling
in the counters. Cotner he-cured two
titlcl goals, McCleary and Iliner one
e.vh and Iliner a free tcs to run
the score to 18 to 5 at the close of
the ;iK:rter.
In the- las.- naxtr. Jolmsaiu . f or
the visitors scored a field goal and
McCelary a field goal and a free toss
and Ronne made good two out of
three free tosses, leaving the Bcore
at 23 to 7.
While the locals were not hitting
with their usual accuracy at the hoop
they ployed a fine floor game that
had their guests baffled at all stages
cf the contest.
The tabulated score was a
lows:
fol-
Plattsmouth
FC
FT
1
0
o
0
1
0
1
0
PF
1
0
1
0
0
0
TP
9
0
o
4
0
1
0
McCleary, f .
Jensen, f
Ronne. f
Cotner. f
Hirer, c
Knofiicek, f
Armstrong, g
4
0
0
o
o
IZ o
o
iUlOCt-S,
o
&
23
V7ahoo
Hurst, f (C) .
Middlekuff, f .
Fuller, f
A. Johnson, c .
FG
0
0
. 1
. 0
FT
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
PF
1
0
1
f
0
0
2
1
TP
i Hendrieksen, c
0
Olson, g 1
Chaiupka. g
W. Johnson, g
0
1
3 17 7
Referee. George Parish. Nebraska;
Timekeeper, H. Taylor, Plattsmouth.
The Curtain Raiser.
The first game cf the evening pro
vided plenty of excitement in the last
minutes cf the contest as Co. I of
Glenwood threatened the comfortable
lead that the Plattsmouth Storz had
rolled up against them and lost the
contest by only three points.
Both teams were minus some ot
their players, the Storz having
Forbe, their star guard, as well as
Joe Krejci out of the game while the
militia boys had several out, but
Killman, fast forward of the Glen
wood high school team led their scor
ing, even though substituting.
In the opening quarter Glenwood
r isecured only a free throw while Donat
land Rummel were accumulating five
J points.
The second period saw Plattsmouth
leap to twelve points while Glenwood
j with another free toss had two at
tne nait time. Jjonat, Kummei ana
Knofiicek were in the scoring for the
Storz in this period.
In the last roundup the Storz were
held by the visitors while they pro
ceeded to race along with basket after
basket and threatened for a time the
large lead that had been rolled up.
Killman with one field goal started
the fireworks, and Hall and Evans
each secured a shot at the hoop and
Evans a free tos?, but the
whistle cut short the rally.
Th? tabulated score:
Platts. Storz
final
F; n VF TP
.2004
. 0 0 0 0
.2 l l r,
.21 1 &
. 0 0 2 0
G 2 4 14
F1 FT PF TP
. 0 0 0 0
. 0 0 1 0
. 2 1 0 5
. 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
. 1 1 ( 3
1113
4 3 3 11
numnicl, f
Ye lick, f
Donat, c
Kn&ilicf 1
- ; Mct'rary
g
Company I
j O-terholm, f
j ( "oakman. f
Killmar., t
; -i i 1 1 1 i , v
KeeU-r, c
Hau. g
Evans, g
lank Bandits
Receive Sentence
of 45 Years Each
John R. Langston and John C. Scis
lowski Stoically Hcceiv Long
Tern in State Prison.
From Saturday's Dailj-
The brief life of crime or John II.
Langston and John C. Scisiowski,
was closed this morning when in the
district court they received a sen
tenc? that aggregated forty-five years
in the state penitentiary at hard
labor and which if served to the limit
will mean two aged men will step
forth from the prison many years
hence, instead of the two young men
who were last week soldiers in the
service of their country and who
Wednesday violated their oath of al
legiance in attempting tne robbery
of the Plattsmouth State bank.
iLe men were arraigned before
Judge James T. Begley at 9:15 this
morning and at that early hour the
court room w-as crowded to the doors,
w Lt-h - itectloradLuxioas to.v wi t ne sjfc
the last
stirred the community on
Wcdnes-
day afternoon.
To the reading of the information
by County Attorney W. G. Kieck, both
men readily responded with guilty
to the first count, that charging them
with attempt to rob a bank, but in
the reading of the second count, that
of shooting with intent to kill, while
Scisiowski readily made his plea of
guilty, Langston. hesitated for a few
moments before he too made his plea
of guilt.
The men were asked by the court
as to why and how they had devised
the plan for the attempted stickup
of the bank here and when they had
firrt contemplated the crime.
Scisiowski stated to the court that
the matter had first been talked of
on Wednesday morning when Clyde
Durham, who was slain in the at-
tempted robbery, had come to him
ttiiu LiCifceu liim il jl'iji in u nine
stickup, and to secure some guns,
which he had done. He gave his
age as 27 and his home as Joliet,
Illinois.
Langston, when questioned stated
that he also had been approached by
Durham on Wednesday morning with
the proposition of joining in the rob
bery and Durham had told him he
had a man that would get the guns
for them. He gave his age as 35 and"
his home in Arkansas, where he has
two children living with relatives,
his wife being dead.
Judge Begley addressing the pris
oners stated tha.t their crime had no
features that could possibly excuse
them as they were in the army and
had taken an oath to defend the con
stitution and the people of the United
States and instead had spread terror!
and might have caused the death of
many iii their attempt to hold up the
bank with firearms. In many cases
men without homes, food or shelter,
had committed crimes but with them
they had their living provided and
received their regular pay from the
government, a sum more than many
received that had to maintain them
selves and their dependents.
The court then sentenced the men
on the first count, of attempted rob
bery, to twenty-five years in the stats
penitentiary, and on the second
count, of shooting with attempt to
kill, twenty years, the sentences to
run consecutively, or a term of forty
five years.
The men were taken to Lincoln
this morning by Sheriff Homer Syl
vester to start serving the long term
behind the gray walls of the state
prison for their banditry.
Gov. Sheldon
Speaks on Sales
lax at t. ort.
Fcrrarr ITetraska Executive Tells of
the Workings of the Law in
Iilississlpni.
Frnm Friday's Pnily
A rcc oi d attendance of 4 5 was pres
ent vesterdav at one of the inn;-t in-
ber cf Commerce. There was rr-::ut
a lar?e number of guests, among
them a distinguished former gover
nor, George L. Sheldon. President
F. I. Ilea dispensed with the usual
committee reports in order to devote
the entire time to the gussts and the
spiech of Governor Sheldon. J. L.
Hull and Elmer Tritsch were wel
comed as farmer guests. Other guests
were Claude Iluse, J. L. Hoot. Ilev-
erend W. J. II. Petter and two new
directors, Mr. Misner and Mr. Helm
of the telephone company.
Sheriff Homer Sylvester was pre
sented to the group in recognition
of his services to the county a:id the
importance tf his office and then
special recognition was given Deputy
Jarvis Lancaster, and he ieceived an
ovation from the directors when he
was introduced by Mr. S. S. Davis,
as an example of the brave and cour
ageous officer so valuable to any com
munity. The Chamber of Commerce
then formally placed in their record.!
an expression of the appreciation for
the courageous performance of De
puty Lancaster in smashing the at
tempted holdup of the Plait: incut h
I state bank,
j County Attorney
G. Kieck was
jthen called upon to introduce tx-Gov-
crnor Sheldon who was chief execu
tive of the state from 1907-09, and
haz been for a number of years a resi
dent of the state xif "STTssIsslppTr "Tn
Sheldon ha taken an active part in
the politics of that great southern
commonwealth, though it is over
whelmingly democratic politically.
For the paet three years, he has
served as Collector of the Revenue
with headquarters at Jackson, the
state capitol. As an example of the
esteem in which Governor Sheldon
war. heid by his friends and asso
ciates, he was elected to the Missis
sippi legislature on the Democratic
ticket.
Governor Sheldon's address on the
sales tax was particularly appro
priate, die to the fact that it will
probably be a political issue in thi3
state in the elections this fall. Fur
thermore, the sales tax has been ia
operation in Mississippi and he has
had an opportunity to see it work
and to observe its possibilities.
Governor Sheldon pointed out that
the property tax situation in Missis
sippi was in such a deplorable situ
ation that people could not pay their
taxes, and that millions of dollars
worth of farm and city property had
reverted to the state.
Since this situation made Impos
sible the collection of enough rev
enue through ad volorcm taxes, the
legislature of that state found it nec
essary to seek some other source of
revenue and this they did in a 2
gross sales tax.
The speaker stated that th? tax
met with tremendous opposition from
the merchants cf Mississippi, but
that it had worked so successfully
that the opposition to it now had
practically melted away. He stated
also that Mississippi had not b?en
able as yet to uie the sale? tax an a
replacement tax of property taxes,
hence that it was only another tax in
their case, but one which had made
possible for them a eolutien of a most
difficult situation. He expressed the
opinion that he could rc-e no value in
the sales tax for a state in the finan
cial condition cf Nebraska unbsi it
became a replacement tax.
In conclusion, Gov. Sheldon an
swered a numtifr of very pertinent
questions asked by local men w bo are
interested in this situation. The
meeting was a most interesting one
to all concerned and will long be
recalled as one of the outstanding
meetings of the year.
From Saturday's Dally
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Woodard, re
siding in Otoe county south of Union,
were in the city yesterday, attending
to business matters and visiting with
friends.