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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 3, 1908)
mmmmmmmm The Commoner VOLUME 8, NUMBER 25 Delegates to the Denver Convention The following table Bhows the result of the various democratic stato conventions as reported to this office; also the dates of the conventions yet to bo held: V EI?FSMw7frwivi r'y 7""n ...: 33 ez . J i ' TrliA A I n. Wlfllln vC?r,u" -JkMtCA JL Vl I C jT IIa f I lVJ llxw vc MDM H m. M fl W I M.I Mf " r " 1 , 2 i cr era -t p CO Mt O o fl o p Wen p o o p " ei to to O I o lwm,T;TTX.rr .1. i ' - - "'" n.i ii -... a- g " O Q X a i m w OT B P 2. to .. Pi p C 1 a Congressman Pnrkor of South Da kota died at Deadwood. tho Rock Island Paris. railroad, died in STATES. ct Ml o i t rf A second boh was born to tho king und queen of Spain, Juno 23. C. A. Johnson was nominated by tho republicans to bo governor of North Dakota. It Ig reported that Mr. Taft will rislt'lhe Nebraska state fair at Lin coln in September. By a vote of 20 to 11, tho-Louisi-ina, sUito' donate defeated tho, refer endum prohibition bill. Charlos B. Jefferson, the eldest son of tho late Joseph Jefferson, died inla Now York hospital. e Ahtl-Taft leagues are being or ganized by colored men in various sections of tho country. By tho decisive vote of 57 to 15 the Philippine assembly, on the eve of adjournment, declared that inde pendence was the aspiration of the Filipino people and that they were ready for immediate independence. Mr. Sherman, republican nominee for vice president, was taken serious ly ill while visiting in Cleveland, Ohio. For a time his condition was thought to be serious, but he recov ered, and was removed to his home in Utica, N. Y. o -1 William B. Leods, tho American flnanclor, who was once president of The democrats of Parke county, Indiana, recently gave a very success ful Jeffersonian banquet. One of the unique features of tho occasion, was that the paper napkins used con- following pledge as to the future: "Parko County Democratic Vote, 1894 1,763. Bryan's vote, 1896 2,877. Wo can do it again." How Billik Escaped the Gallows Tho following Js a special dispatch to the New York World: Chicago, III., Juno 13. Secrets of tho confessional, never fully reveal ed, disclosed only so far as to as sert the innocence of a man con domnod for six murders, have gained a respite for Herman Billik through tho ceaseless offorts of tho Rev. Father Peter J. O'Callaghan and his co-worker, Sister Rose, of tho Order of Poor" Clares. Never in criminal history in this country, if indeed anywhere, has the powerful influence of tho church been used so strikingly in behalf of a, man sentencod lo die on the gal lows. Already tho scaffold had been erected, tho hour for execution had magic in all ventures and undertak ing, greatly to his profit. Martin Vrzal died March 27, 1905. His life was insured for $2,000 in his wife's favor. Four months later Mary Vrzal died; her life was in sured for $800 in her mother's favor. Again, five months after Mary's de mise, Time Vrzal, whoso life was in sured for $620, was stricken with the same fatal "stomach trouble" and was buried Christmas day be side her father and sister. Eight months passed without any further deaths in the ill-fated Vrzal family, but in August, 1906, Rose, the fourteen-year-old daughter, sud denly contracted the fatal malady ana passed, away. There was $300 arrived, when respite came, and all insurance on her life. Three months through tho labor of a priest and mLor u" vrzai, twelve years, died nun who believed tho man wrongly of, the same mysterious malady. convicted, a bollef based on tho priest's part on rovelatlons made in thot:on f esslonal . Must Bo Secret These rovolations could not bo im parted. Never in the life of tho churoh has tho secrecy of tho con fessional been violated. Father O'Callaghan could not make known the confession of the penitent, could, not tell whether it was man or woman. Knowledge Cnmo in Confession He could tell, howevnr. timf in formation had come to him in the confessional which . to. his satisfac tion proved Billik innocont of the a&c murders for which tho law had sentenced him to death, and to save this man ho labored, as no priest had. labored before, and perhaps success- iuuy, lor "witn tno noose almost about his nock, sitting in his cell wetting to bo led. forth to execution, tho condemned was notified of a stay which takes his case to tho supremo court of the United Stfctes. Herman Billik, astrologer and for tune teller, was accused of poisoning Martin Vrzal, a milkman, forty-five years old, his wife Rose, their daughr ters, Mary, twenty; Tlllio, eighteen; Roso, fourteen, and Ella, twelve years old. Ho had gained a compol 2ing Influence over tills family, from Bohomla,. as .was he, and it was m shown that they had consulted his There was $105 insurance on her life. All the insurance money was paid to Mrs. Vrzal', tho widow and mother. This money, it was claimed Billik got from her. Mrs. Vrzal acted on Billik's ad vice and sold the family home for about $3,000. Soon after she died suddenly and mysteriously. Some of ner neiguoors said she committed Buiclde; others declared that she had taken a white powder sent her by Billik. By Son and Daughter FaCtS CamO tn flirt lrnrtnrlnJn fln nnll i ., -"""- VM. ,,. iiunuv w Hirengtnen tneir susnl- clon that Billik was the slayer of tho six Vrzals. Not the least Impor tant was the statement made by iJry Vrza1' a S01. nineteen years ?! Vt tno poIicQ and corroborated j mo Bisier, mrs. wieman, that the r i iu teller had mad0 " attempt lu "" me enure yrzal family by asphyxiation. The trial was a long .and bitter legal contest. Billik wxts . charged with poisoning six members of the Vrzal family, but tho state elected to try him only for the murder of one, Mary. The bodies of. the six victims were exhumed and the vital organs analyzed by experts. Arsenic was found in all, of them. The cir cumstances cpnnected with the death of Mary Vrzal were the clearest and it was for that reason that the state's .attorney decided to put him on trial Wisconsin . . . .' '...'.. Kansas . . . . -' Oklahoma Nebraska .-..'. North Dakota '. Rhode Island ' Indiana ' Iowa ;..;.... Philippine Islands South Dakota. . . . .". .'. . .'. New York ; Delaware Illinois Connecticut New Jersey .-... Ohio Massachusetts Minnesota ' Wyoming . . ,. Washington Hawaii ,, California t v Missouri '.'.'.' Michigan t Pennsylvania South Carolina. . ."; District of Columbia . . . . Alabama '. . . Alaska Texas v." Now Hampshire ......... Arizona -. ..'..;. . West Virginia...... ...... Porto Rico Nevada ,v. .. Idaho,, .,,,. Louisiana Maryland Utah ,.,.;;..;.. Arkansas '.'. . ... New Mexico ........ i .. . Virginia Kentucky Colorado r. ........ .. Oregon ' V .'...',.". i Florida , . . . Tennessee North Carolina i Vermont. . . , Georgia Maine Mississippi Montana Total 26 20 14 16 8 8 30 26 6 8 78 6 54 14 24 46 32 22 6 10 0 20 36 28 68 18 6,' 22 6 36 -8 6 . 14 6 6 6 18 16 . 6 18 6 24 26 10 8 10 24 24 8 26 12 20 6 1008 2C 20 14 16: 8 30 26. 6. 8: 54 46 22 6 10 6 20 36 28 40 18 6 22 6 36. 6 14 i 6' 6 6 '18 6 24 26 10 8 24 24. 20 10 '12 6 .. i t 78 24 22' 16' 8 i j .,, n 6 18 6 10 8 8 10 26 4 . j ! n .f5T jr O'. 'it ;,n H M . I ' ' ' VK .!,- 1;V i HTMflO') V '.' ' U 'July '1 Total instructed and uninstructed for Bryan g07 Total for Johnson ',' ....... . . Total for Gray '..!.!! . " " g Choice unexpressed and uninstructed .".'!". 17 Total delegates so far elected ; . . . . 1 002 Necessary to a choice under two-thirds rule A 72 on that indictment. The jury re turned a verdict of guilty on purely, but overwhelming circumstantial evidence and fixed Billlk's punish ment at death by hanging. He was sentenced to be hanged October 11, 1907. A short time before the first date Of the hancrlnfr Rltr Pnco o omoat. faced nun of the Order of the Prior Clares, who was and is yet engaged in mission work, in the Cook county jail hero, met Billik, a prisoner wait ing the day o doom. She became interested in his case. She investigated many of his state mentSf Then she besought Rev. Peter J. O'Callaghan, superior of the Chicago house of the Paulist Fathers, to as sist her in befriending the con demned fortune toller. Like Sister Rose among the unfor tunate women prisoners the Paulist Father was a missionary among tho men there, whether of his faiti or not. Would Kc- Hearken ' Father O'Callaghan for a time would not harken to the pleas of tho nun in behalf of Billik, but' she was insistent Then came inspiration for him. It was" from t.hft rnnfAneilnnftl and Its secret had been kept invio- late. Soon after this an appeal was made for a stay of execution and a respite obtained that the case might (Continued on Page1 14) SHAKE INTO YOUR SHOES Allon'a Foot-caso, a powder. It cures painful, smarting, ncrrousfcet, and instantly takctto gtlne put orcorns nnd bunions. Allen's FooMSaso makes tlRUt or now shoea fool easy. It Is a certain euro for ?X,?iL,58r,S!4,,0?8'8wollon. tired, cllna-ft50t: Try l mail for25c. inntampa. lon't Recent any ub Htltute, For FIfclflJE trial narkfti also Fro9 Kami I' A I Htetl. )ltf of lha FOOT-EASE Sanltfiy OOKN r. a nnw invnntinn ni.i-r mi., a. rtltr Xe Boy, n; yT """"" V Ss